280 vol 6 iss 12 august 2013 all by Starnes Media

280 Living

A1 August 2013 | August Volume 62013 | Issue• 12

280Living.com

neighborly news & entertainment

Friday night

fever

Hwy 280 at the Narrows Dr. Kristy Curl, Board Certified Dermatologist

Specializing in Medical, Surgical, and Cosmetic Dermatology Call 877-9773 or visit www.villagedermatology.net

learning curb

Cahaba Park Circle

McDonald’s

On your way to Birmingham from Chelsea, you decide to stop at Chick-fil-A. But the signal at Key Drive will no longer have a left-turn lane from U.S. 280 westbound. You keep driving.

Cahaba Park Circle West

Senior wide receiver Jourdan Walker (3) looks to boost Spain Park’s offense in the 2013 football season. In addition to the Jaguars, 280 Living previews the Eagles, Lions and Hornets inside this issue. Photo courtesy of Ted Melton.

At Cahaba Park Circle West in front of Target, you’ll make either a left turn at the light onto Cahaba River Road access road or a U-turn onto U.S. 280. Key Drive is now a right-in, right-out only road.

Special Section page B1

Valleydale Road

Key Drive Chick-ﬁl-A

Work on U.S. 280 intersections in the Mountain Brook area is expected to wrap up Aug. 5, ALDOT officials said. Following that interim completion date, contractors have until Thanksgiving to finish the remaining intersections from The Summit to Double Oak Mountain.

Drivers on U.S. 280 toward Birmingham who wish to turn left onto Valleydale Road will no longer use the existing left turn lanes at the light. Instead, they’ll drive past the intersection.

To the left and below are three sections of the federal highway that will undergo significant change. For a list of all intersections included and changes planned, see inside.

All ages welcome

Aerial images courtesy of the Alabama Department of Transportation via dot.state.al.us

These drivers will then use new U-turn lanes at a new signal in front of Inverness Plaza, get on U.S. 280 eastbound briefly and make a right turn onto Valleydale.

Learn the mission behind the new Stonecreek Montessori School inside.

Walmart

Meadowlark Drive

Express Oil Change

Lloyd’s

School House page A21

Raceway

INSIde Sponsors ...... A4 280 News ..... A6 Business ....... A8 Food .............. A10 Community .. A14

School House ... A19 Sports ............... B1 Opinion ............. B12 Calendar ........... B14

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Drivers will no longer be able to cross U.S. 280 at Meadowlark Drive. A concrete island will be installed to stop direct travel across the intersection and organize drivers turning left off U.S. 280.

In green are the six access points between Meadowlark and Raceway ALDOT intends to close.

Drivers brace for effects of ALDOT’s Intersection Improvement Plan By JEFF THOMPSON Intersection work has progressed rapidly down U.S. 280, and officials expect it won’t be long before the medians from I-459 to Doug Baker Boulevard are swollen with safety vests. For the daily driver, this means three months of dodging construction equipment likely followed by weeks of adjusting to

the highway’s new identity of “right-turn only.” Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills are currently going through the growing pains of the Alabama Department of Transportation’s (ALDOT) Intersection Improvement Plan. Contractors Dunn Construction and APACMidSouth were on target to complete work on intersections from Hollywood

Boulevard to Green Valley Road by the Aug. 5 interim completion date. “Delays and traffic have not been any worse that expected,” said Craig Fleming, president of Dunn Construction. “Most work done to this point has been from Red Mountain Expressway down to Birmingham Water Works. Now, we’re

See SAFETY| page A23

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280 Living

280Living.com

August 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ A3

280 Living

A4 • August 2013

About Us Please Support our Community Partners

Photo of the month

Spain Park High School Freshman Cheerleaders came home with many awards from the UCA Cheer Camp in Panama City this summer. The squad placed first in Home Pom, Extreme, Sideline and Overall categories. Lauren Nicholas and Morgan Lambert were named All American.

Editor’s Note By Madoline Markham People who know me well tell me I do a lot of staring. It’s not at people, mind you, though I do enjoy a good bout of people watching in public arenas. It’s at my beloved creations. T-shirts, stories, photos, blog posts, family cookbooks, personalized soda bottles for a wedding and especially newspapers — whatever I write or edit or design, I stare at sometimes for hours on end, proud of a personalized end product. Lately, I keep looking back at a list recently released by the Alabama Press Association. It was our first year to be eligible to enter its Better Newspaper contest, and I am proud to announce our company came home with 33 awards, 20 of which were for editorial

and 13 for advertising. Most notably, 280 Living came in first place in the all-around category General Excellence, which is based on total points earned all other categories as well as a set of issues submitted. The paper also won first in Sweepstakes Award, the equivalent of General Excellence on the advertising side. Needless to say, our staff was excited to see our work of telling stories of our community recognized in this arena. The awards also brought back memories of writing “And then there were nine,” a story that won first place for feature coverage and headline. Reading it not only made me prideful that it was quite strong narrative, but it also more importantly reminded

me of hearing firsthand how a single father of two and single mother of five melded their families together. You can still find the story on our website if you are in the mood for a little reallife love story reading. But the most important part of the list below is the community support that makes it possible. Each person that tells us his or her story and each local business that buys an ad come together to create a paper that is for you and for me, for the 280 corridor. So make sure you do some staring at this issue. After all, it’s crafted by you and your community. Enjoy the last days of summer, and I hope you and your family have a great start to the school year!

APA Better Newspaper Awards 2013 EDITORIAL

General Excellence 1st place: 280 Living Category 8 — Best Use of Photographs/ Editorial Content 1st place: 280 Living Category 12 - Best Feature Story Coverage 1st place: 280 Living for “And then there were nine” by Madoline Markham 2nd place: 280 Living for “Raising up change in Uganda” by Madoline Markham

Category 16 - Best Human Interest Column 3rd place: 280 Living for “Blackie” by Rick Watson

Category 20 - Best Sports Feature Story 3rd place: 280 Living for “A Tiger in the Lions den” by Rick Watson

Category 28 - Best Headline 1st place: 280 Living for “And then there were nine” by Madoline Markham 2nd place: 280 Living for “Vivid livery flourishes on vocab day” by Jeff Thompson ADVERTISING Sweepstakes Award 1st place: 280 Living Category 6 -Best Single Ad over 1/2 page-color 1st place: 280 Living for Taste of Homewood ad by Keith McCoy & Dan Starnes 2nd place: 280 Living for Renaissance Consignment Boutique ad by Keith McCoy & Dan Starnes Category 7 - Best Regularly Scheduled Special Section

280 Living neighborly news & entertainment

For advertising contact: dan@280living.com

Publisher : Creative Director : Executive Editor : Managing Editor : Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution :

1st place: 280 Living for Fall Home by staff Category 9 -Best In-Paper Promotion of Newspaper 2nd place: 280 Living for “Summer Fun Photo Contest” ad by Keith McCoy Category 10- Best Advertising Campaign 2nd place: 280 Living for Second Hand Rose campaign by Matthew Allen 3rd place: 280 Living for Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center by Matthew Allen Category 11 -Best Original/Creative Idea 2nd place: 280 Living for GeGe’s Salon ad by Keith McCoy & Dan Starnes Category 15 -Best Use of Humor 2nd place: 280 Living for GeGe’s Salon ad by Keith McCoy & Dan Starnes

Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Jeff Thompson Madoline Markham Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Keith Richardson Michelle Salem Haynes Contributing Writers : Rick Watson Kari Kampakis Interns : Chandler Jones Will Hightower Caroline Drew Intisar Seraaj-Sabree

Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (B8) Alabama Power (A12) Alabama Shakespeare Festival (B11) Allstate Insurance - Jay Barker Agency (B12) Azia Medical Spa (A13) Bedzzz Express (A3) Bellini’s (B3) Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club (B12) Birmingham Internal Medicine (A22) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (B5) Black Pearl Asian Cuisine (A18) Brookwood Medical Center (A2) Bruno Montessori Academy (B7) Cahaba Marriage and Family Counseling (B10) Cahaba Dermatology and Skin Care Center (A5) California Closets (A22) Charles Dunn (A19) Children’s of Alabama (A17) Chiropractic Today (A12) Comfort Keepers (B9) Cowboy’s (B1) Cutting Edge Salon (B11) DanceSouth (A16) Encore Rehabilitation (B5) Eye Do (A18) FabsFirst (B9) Farmers Insurance (B6) GeGe’s Salon (A8) Geostone (B2) Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce (B15) Greystone Antiques & Marketplace (A16) Hanna’s Garden Shop (A14) Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall (A17, B3) Highland Dentistry (A23) Iron Tribe (A24) Isbell Jewelers (B7) Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (A20) LAH Real Estate (B2) Learning by Design (B4) Mosquito Squad of Birmingham (A18) NAPA Auto Parts (A2) Pak Mail (A19) Pastry Art (A8) Plain Jane Children & Gift Shop (A19) Re/MAX Advantage - Terry Crutchfield (A20) RealtySouth Marketing (A7) Regus (A11) Renaissance Consignment and Marketplace (A19) Richard Joseph Salon and Spa (A1) Royal Automotive (B16) Salter Ferguson, LLC (A21) Skin Wellness Center of Alabama (B4) Smith Chiropractic (B6) SouthFirst Bank (A21) Southeastern Jewelers and Engravers (A9) Southlake Orthopaedics (B10) St. Vincent’s One Nineteen (A5, A14) Studio Red (B9) The Cuckoo’s Nest (B15) The Ditsy Daisy (B8) The Goddard School (B13) The UPS Store (A7) The Urban Barn (B6) Thimbles (B12) Total Care 280 (A9) Trinity Medical Center (A6) True Colors Salon (A23) Tutoring Club Inverness (A19) UAB Medicine (A10) Varsity Sports (B1) Village Dermatology (A1) Villaggio at Ross Bridge (A15) World Cellular - Verizon Wireless (B13)

Contact Information: 280 Living #3 Office Park Circle, Suite 316 Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 dan@280living.com

Legals: 280 Living is published monthly. Reproduction or

Please submit all articles, information and photos to: jeff@280living.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253

use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. 280 Living is designed to inform the 280 community of area school, family and community events. Information in 280 Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/ photos submitted become the property of 280 Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

Published by : 280 Living LLC

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280Living.com

August 2013 • A5

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An Entertaining and Educational Health and Wellness Event

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September 7, 2013 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Featured Speakers: • Celeste Hilling, • William Johnson, III, MD Skin Authority • Michael Clinton, MD Founder • Mary Adams, MD • James Towery, MD

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$15 (register by September 3) $20 (day of event) Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. $10 students age 16 and above (must show ID)

Learn More! onenineteen.com

280 Living

A6 • August 2013

280 News Residents petition for de-annexation from Pelham surrounding discussion of new school system By JEFF THOMPSON

tend school in the future would ultimately be left to the Shelby County The City of Pelham appears to be on Board of Education, but Pelham the fast track to break away from Shelby Mayor Gary Waters – who strongly County Schools and create its own sysopposes the creation of a Pelham tem. And for 416 homes near Chelsea school system – said he hopes everyWindStone – and 221 students in Chelsea schools one in the area who wishes to stay in – the decision could create a host of perChelsea has the opportunity. sonal problems. “My heart breaks for them that I’m “I’ve never been against Pelham, but a non-voting member of the council,” my kids go to Chelsea schools,” said Waters said. “These people go home at Chelsea City Lee Jordan, a WindStone resident. “It’s night and all their options are bad. Stay Limits great that they want to do what’s best and send your kids to Pelham schools for their community, but they have to or de-annex and risk losing municipal Map courtesy Shelby County via gis.shelbyal.com. understand I’m not in their community.” services. It’s like playing Russian roulette Jordan’s home in WindStone is sition on the petition, but Counwith two bullets in the gun.” one of many in a section southeast of cil President Rick Hayes said In July, the Pelham Council held a public Oak Mountain State Park that falls if de-annexation were to occur hearing to discuss raising sales tax in the city within Pelham municipality lines. But the loss of annual tax revenue by 1 percent. Waters said the funding would be his house is so close to Chelsea High from all 416 homes would equal earmarked for education whether it supports a School, he can hear the marching band’s more than $300,000. new system or helps fund current schools. But halftime show note-for-note on Fridays “The issue is a catch 22, and he made no indication that any decision on taxin the fall, he said. it’s very simple,” Hayes said “A es would affect the Council’s decision to break If Pelham creates its own school syslot of people moved into houses away from Shelby Schools. tem, Jordan and his neighbors in Windin that area, and they told us “Unless God intervenes, it’s going to hapStone might be required to move their point blank in one meeting af- pen,” Waters said. “This thing was foregone Lee and Vanessa Jordan, their daughters Abby and Mandy, and children from Chelsea schools. Jordan ter another, ‘We didn’t know we conclusion before we had this conversation.” their son Spencer had no trouble decking out in their Chelsea has two daughters, Mandy and Abby, were in Pelham.’ We’ve heard If Waters’ prediction is correct, it means Jorblues. But if Pelham creates its own school system, the Jordans in Forest Oaks Elementary and a son, might be required to attend school far from the Hornets’ nest. it from at least 15 people in the dan and his neighbors have few options besides Spencer, at Chelsea Middle School. last two meetings.” a “wait and see” approach. Wait for the deciPhoto by Jeff Thompson. Their home in WindStone is more than WindStone is the best example sion, and see if their voices are heard. cil to request the neighborhood be de-annexed. 14 miles from Pelham High School – a of how exact municipal boundarDelivered in July, it presents a template for ies in the area could be confusing. It’s impossible longer distance than PHS is from The Summit. “I don’t want to fight,” he said. “But they what may follow from other subdivisions that to drive to Jordan’s house in Pelham without travTell us what you think. Should residents of aren’t messing with just me anymore. They’re would be affected by the decision, including eling through Chelsea, as approximately 20 lots WindStone and surrounding subdivisions be alBent Creek, Courtyard Manor, Deer Ridge and near the entrance to the subdivision fall within lowed to de-annex from Pelham? How will the messing with my kids.” So, led by Jordan, WindStone was the first to Oaklyn Hills. Chelsea city limits. creation of a Pelham school system affect you? The Pelham Council has taken no official pohand over a petition to the Pelham City CounHayes said the decision of where children at- Eemail jeff@280living.com. Pelham City Limits

280Living.com

August 2013 • A7

Sound off Chelsea area residents discuss possibility of sending students to school in Pelham Property values

What we are most concerned about are our property values. Our child has graduated (from Chelsea schools), and I work at Chelsea Middle School. I understand how neighborhoods/community/schools work hand-in-hand. If someone wants to be in Pelham schools, they will buy in Pelham, not 35, 40 minutes away. We planned on our home being a big part of our retirement nest egg when we sell and downsize in the next couple of years. Now we can’t count on that. -Linda Edwards

Uninformed

Our property values are also in jeopardy if we can’t de-annex from Pelham. No one will be interested in buying a house so far from Pelham schools when they drive by Chelsea schools just to get home. Many people move to Chelsea because of the school system and the community feel. As this reporter points out, the entrance to WindStone is in Chelsea city limits, but then you cross over the Pelham line. There is no sign or marker indicating that, and those who have bought in the neighborhood had no idea until they were committed to purchase the property. I’m in favor of Pelham starting their own school district if they feel it is in the best interest of current Pelham students, but I would prefer to be de-annexed so my family can stay a part of the Chelsea community. We’ve tried to de-annex before but were unsuccessful. We simply want to be out of the Pelham lines as we thought we were

purchasing in Chelsea to begin with. -Rhonda Gross

Long drives

I am SICK over this! My family and I live in WindStone, and my daughter is going into the sixth grade and has always been in the Shelby County school system. I can’t believe this is happening! Does this mean that the students who live in the first part of our neighborhood in Chelsea will go to Chelsea schools while we in the “Pelham” part of the neighborhood will go to Pelham schools? My daughter would be forced to go to Riverchase Elementary 18 miles away which, according to Google maps, would be a commute of 37 minutes one way. CHMS is 3.8 miles from my house. We have a Chelsea zip code, vote at the Chelsea locations and pay for Shelby County water. Do we really have to get legal council? -Ivy Wilson

It’s good, common sense...

Necessity

We, like most if not all of our neighbors with children attending Chelsea schools, bought our homes because of the school. If we wanted Pelham schools, we would have bought in a Pelham school area. Pelham schools are already burdened (by their own admission) with traffic, failing buildings, etc. Do they really need to take on more students, more buses and more expense? The VAST majority of WindStone residents have spoken. -Sarah Stokes

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280 Living

A8 • August 2013

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Birmingham Bake and Cook goes for the goal

Last month, Birmingham Bake and Cook organized a bake sale with the help of local pastry chef Beth Bloomfield to raise money to offset 14-year-old Josh Wallborn’s expenses. In the next year, Josh will train for the 2013 International Blind Sports Youth World Goalball Team and the 2016 USA Men’s Paralympic Goalball Team. Goalball is a dodgeball-like sport for the visually impaired. “We got to know him,” Bake and Cook Owner Susan Green said. “We’ll do anything for our customers. We were so grateful to have an opportunity to support him. So, that’s why we did it. And the community was just great. They really came out in droves.” At birth, Josh was diagnosed with oculocutaneous albinism, which involves eye problems resulting from abnormal development from lack of pigment. He began taking classes at Birmingham Bake and Cook three years ago. The Birmingham Bake & Cook Company will also donate a portion of its Red Bag Day sales to further support Josh’s needs. All donations will go to the United States Association of Blind Athletes and put into an athlete development account in Josh’s name. USABA is a 501(c)(3) organization, and every donation is tax deductible.

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Chelsea goes nuts for doughnuts

Jason Jebeles has gone where no man has gone before — he has brought a doughnut shop to Chelsea. After opening in early July, The Donut Chef sold out during its grand opening. “It’s been great,” Jebeles said. “We had a ton of support from people in Chelsea.” The Donut Chef offers a selection of cake and wheat doughnuts and other morning delights such as coffee and apple fritters. Prices range from $.89-$2.59. The franchise originated in Calera. Hours are 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The store is located at 16712 U.S. 280, Suite B in Chelsea. For more call 678-7400 or find them on Facebook.

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280Living.com

3 Sandwiches speed

up at the Colonnade

Jimmy John’s sandwich shop opened in the Colonnade in June. The restaurant features a variety of sub and club sandwiches, and the new location boasts a staff of more than 30 and a drive-thru. Brandon Stewart owns both this and a Hoover location of the franchise. The address is 3411 Colonnade Parkway, Suite A2. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Call 2624788 for more.

4 Pelotoni’s

closes its doors

In June Pelotoni’s updated its Facebook to say it had closed its doors. The family-run Chelsea Italian restaurant opened in October to rave reviews. Now, 11 months later, its owners are selling the restaurant and all of its recipes. They thanked Chelsea for all its support.

5 The Shoe Box opens The Shoe Box off U.S. 280 opened in May. Prices range from $25 to $400. Owner Warneshia Wallace and her business partner buy all their shoes from a personal shopper. They also sell custom-made shoes. The store can be visited at 5426 U.S. 280, Suite 7 Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Call 437-4777 or visit shoebox-boutique. com for more.

Pita Hut opens bar

The Pita Hut, a Mediterranean restaurant in the 280 Bazaar, will soon open in a bar during dinner service. It will feature domestic and imported beers, wines and mixed drinks. Since 2005, owner Joseph Matta and his team have enjoyed “getting creative and to come up with good food that is healthy and delicious,” he said. Pita Hut is located at 5361 U.S. 280. For more call 980-7482 or visit pitahut280.com.

August 2013 • A9

7 280 gets funky The Funky Muffin, the first dedicated glutenfree eatery in Birmingham, opened in early July. It sells muffins, donuts, cookies, cakes, breads, brownies and cinnamon rolls and is always willing to take suggestions for new baked goods. The price ranges from doughnuts and cookies at $.50 to custom-made cakes at $30. The bakery is off U.S. 280 at 4647-B Highway 280. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Call 408-9825 or visit thefunkymuffinbakery. com for more.

8 Bringing white

smiles to Greystone

Highland Dentistry, which opened on U.S. 280 reently, is operated by 25-year veteran dentist Grady Swicord. Swicord’s previous practice was in Southside, and now that it has become fully staffed, he has expanded to U.S. 280. The office is equipped for complete dental care and all dental emergencies. The facility is located in the Greystone Center at 5510 Highway 280, Suite 104. Call 991-6080 for appointments. Hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and emergency appointments can be scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

Hair hotel

Salon Suites, a new business concept by Jordan Yates located in the Colonnade, is scheduled to open this month. The concept takes a building and creates hotellike sectionals for cosmetologists to operate. Each space spans 100 to 140 square feet and is equipped with custom cabinets, a shampoo bowl, a styling chair, dryer chairs and lockable doors. The location in the Colonnade will be large enough for 29 spaces, and Yates is planning to include 20 rooms in a developing location in another 280 Bazaar location. Salon Suites location will be at 3411 Colonnade Parkway. For more call 970-2140.

5299 Valleydale Road Suite 111 Birmingham, AL 35242 (two blocks from 280) www.southeasternjewelers.net • 980-9030

280 Living

A10 • August 2013

Breakfasts to jump start busy mornings By LISA JOHNSEY The start of the school year is just around the corner, and we will all soon be busy in the mornings again. This month I thought it might be fun to share my ideas to help get my family going each day. I like to try to have things that are quick and can be eaten on the run. I must admit, though, I do have to plan in order to pull this off. Some of these recipes take a little

RECIPE

Blueberry Muffins Serve blueberry muffins with fresh fruit.

Fresh Fruit Parfaits

This light and cool breakfast is one of our favorites, especially when it is hot outside. 1 container blueberries 1 container strawberries 2-3 peaches Greek yogurt Honey

RECIPE

preparation but are always better than a drive-thru. One of my family’s favorites is Blueberry Muffins. They have fresh blueberries and are just wonderful. Everyone seems to enjoy simple parfaits, too. For them, I cut fruit and layer it with Greek yogurt and honey. Breakfast “buddies” are a fun choice as well. I hope these grab-and-go choices will help you jump-start your day and your school year.

Wash and slice fruit into bite-sized pieces. Store each kind of fruit in separate containers in the refrigerator. Just before eating, layer fruit then yogurt and then honey in a disposable cup. Repeat layers once or more depending on the size of your cup.

Breakfast “Buddies”

These are really just burritos for breakfast. I came up with the name so my youngest would eat them. These are fun in the fall and winter because they are more satisfying and warm on cold mornings. 1 pound breakfast sausage 8-10 eggs 2 Tbsp. milk Salt and pepper, to taste 1 ½ cups cheese (your choice), shredded Flour tortillas

Brown sausage. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and add the milk, salt and pepper. Once the sausage is to your liking, add the eggs and scramble them until they are cooked to desired state. While the eggs cook, warm the tortillas. To assemble, add the warm sausage and egg mixture to the tortilla and top with the shredded cheese. Add toppings like sour cream or salsa, as desired. Fold your “buddy” into a burrito envelope and enjoy.

I found this recipe a few years ago while living in Virginia. It is a good basic muffin batter recipe, so sometimes I change fruit to strawberries or peaches for a fun twist. I generally make them either Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, and they will last a few days. We like to warm them up for a few seconds and spread strawberry jam on top. 1 ½ sticks butter, at room temperature 1 ½ cups sugar 3 eggs, at room temperature 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup sour cream ¼ cup milk

2 ½ cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. soda ½ tsp. salt 1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with liners and set aside. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for about seven minutes until fluffy, and then add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, sour cream and milk. Next add dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Fold in the blueberries so that they don’t break up. (I like to use a scoop so that my muffins are the same size.) Scoop mixture into the liners and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

280Living.com

August 2013 • A11

Restaurant Showcase Act o

459

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4704 Cahaba River Road 969-4855 magnoliacafebirmingham.com Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Read past Restaurant Showcases at 280Living.com

Magnolia Café

Most of Magnolia Café’s staff has worked together since the restaurant opened in 1996. Photo by Chandler Jones.

By CHANDLER JONES Mike Lee walks into the Magnolia Café everyday with a smile on his face. The décor and aromas of the restaurant take him straight back to a childhood spent in the shade of large oaks in his grandparents’ hometown, Natchez, Miss. Magnolia’s smell mimics that of his grandmother’s soul food cooking. “She just cooked the best veggies,” Lee said. “She had a huge garden and a huge chestfreezer. Back then they would bag all the peas and do everything separately, and no one was doing anything like it around here.” What started as a deli and catering service has, 17 years later, blossomed into today’s Magnolia Café. Recipes from Lee’s grandmother and mother fill the chafing dishes of the café’s cafeteria-style restaurant. “We wanted to make it feel like you’re at grandma’s house,” Lee said. And Magnolia’s Mississippi Old-River motif does just that. Three large walls have handpainted murals of Oak Alley, Magnolia Park and a steamboat named Robert E. Lee and the Dunleith plantation house in Natchez. This cozy environment draws hundreds to Magnolia daily and makes it a regular stop for after-church crowds. “Everybody’s looking for some good veggies on Sundays,” Lee said. Soul food is a fairly new venture for Magnolia Café. It always catered the fare, but its in-house eatery was a deli. When the recession hit and delis began “popping up everywhere,” Lee said they knew the restaurant’s direction needed to change. Today their vegetable line up features favorites including sweet potato soufflé, fried green tomatoes, smashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fried okra and fried peas. Weekdays, the cafe offers daily specials to provide “something where [customers] can save a little money, but get something good to eat,” Lee said. These are Chicken Tenders on Monday; Beef Tips on Tuesday; Grilled Pork Chops on Wednesday; Creole Chicken Thighs on Thursday and Smoked Chicken on Friday. Another popular dish, Magnolia’s Pecan Chicken, can be breaded or baked served with a cream sauce and roasted pecans. “The pecan chicken is real famous,” Lee said. Magnolia’s Pot Roast cooks for 10 hours

beginning the night before. They get their Fried Catfish from Mississippi, which gives a “nice sweet flavor to it,” Lee said. It’s also not unheard-of for Lee to run to the grocery store to get ingredients for his banana pudding or to pick up vegetables when running low. During Thanksgiving and Christmas, Lee even smokes and roasts turkeys. No matter the day Lee arrives to the café at approximately 7:15 a.m., a routine that’s stuck since they opened in December 1996. After him come the five workers who man the kitchen, some of the same people that opened with Lee 17 years ago: Amanda, Brenda, Ryan and Lee’s father, Steven. “I watched [Brenda’s] kids grow up,” Lee said. “It’s special.” After Lee’s father retired from Bellsouth, Lee brought him in on Magnolia. “Dad and I joke sometimes, ‘Whose idea was this?’” Lee said. “Then we’ll joke, ‘Who’s driving the boat?’ Now, we’ve been here so long, and we keep doing the same thing. We keep growing with more guests. It runs itself a little bit.” The family feel and laughter create an atmosphere at Magnolia that keeps regulars coming week after week. “We’ve watched people start families, and their kids have kids now,” Lee said. “That’s pretty neat.”

Magnolia’s Mississippi Old-River motif lends to the Café’s cozy atmosphere.

280 Living

A12 • August 2013

Your Health Today By Dr. Irma Palmer

What you’re about to read is meant to be a wake-up call. It’s time to face some facts. Meet Evan. Evan is an actual patient of mine, and what you are about to read is 100% true. Evan is a typical 16-year old high school student. He has friends, he texts, he studies for tests… what you would expect for a 16 year old. Over the past Christmas holidays Evan began having severe headaches. Debilitating headaches. Drop everything and go to bed headaches. Here’s the story as his mom tells it: “At least every other night, he would have a sharp pain shoot up the back of his head and then would have to go to bed and sleep it off. One night, we actually went to Children’s Hospital where he was assessed and, of course, they thought as we did: migraine. So we made an appointment with a migraine specialist which was 8 weeks out. School began again and he had to miss the second day due to a headache that came on the night before. I realized we had to seek a different route. We didn’t have 8 weeks. It was terrible to see the excruciating pain he was in.” I’m sure you can guess the “different route” Evan’s mom chose. X-rays

conﬁrmed what I knew they would…his spine was completely lacking curvature. As a result, Evan’s nervous system was being compromised, which resulted in several health issues, most debilitating among them, migraines. But WHY was Evan’s spine lacking curvature? And why are SO MANY of our youth today experiencing similar problems (headaches, digestive issues, overall poor quality of health) more than at any other time in history? I have a theory, based on what I’m seeing daily in my practice. I feel what’s causing this growing trend is the increase of electronics’ use by the younger generation, coupled with less activity; more laying down reading/watching TV/texting in bed, and less sitting around the table at mealtimes with the family engaged in conversation or doing other physical activities. Simply put, our evolving lifestyle is causing us to deevolve right into a growing trend that leads us into becoming a statistic. Stop and think for a minute. Close your eyes and picture your kids…how much time do they spend with their head looking down? Texting, playing video games, playing computer games

Chiropractic Today Total Natural Health

Wake Up, Parents! on a laptop, or even reading (a good activity, sure, but picture their posture!) Be honest…does it add up to hours every day? I’m willing to bet it does. A human head weighs, on average, between 8 and 12 pounds. When a head is bent down, that’s a lot of weight for the neck (and spine!) to bear. Over time, the natural curve of the neck/spinal column (known as the “Arc of Life”) is lost, and health issues result. (For a fantastic visual showing what a normal curvature of the neck should be, compared with Evan’s actual x-ray showing his straight neck, go to our home page, www. chiropractictoday.com, and see for yourself how hours and hours looking down can seriously impact your normal posture.) I’m happy to report that Evan’s story has a happy ending. Here again are Evan’s mom’s own words: “He has not had a migraine headache since the ﬁrst day we saw Dr. Palmer! He also has had no lower back pain and additionally, he started to have regular bowel movements. Who knew? We are very grateful for all that Dr. Palmer has done for us.” Helping people like Evan is the reason I became a chiropractor. Seeing

him come in worried and in pain, and watching him leave with hope (and no more headaches!) was a gift to ME! And his story is not, unfortunately, unique. Here’s another 100% true story from a different mom, again in her own words: “Dr. Palmer is a miracle worker! I brought my son to her after the medical doctors could not help him with his reoccurring migraines and acid reflux. At his first visit, I learned from Dr. Palmer that my son’s health issues were caused by nerve interference due to his spine being out of alignment. She put together a plan, and my son began treatment immediately. Now, after several months of regular weekly visits, I am glad to say that my son no longer suffers from migraines, or acid reflux. His back muscles are stronger now, and support his spine properly. He now leads an active lifestyle, works a part time job and will be able to attend school once again this fall. Thank you Dr. Palmer, for restoring my son’s health!” Call my office today at 205-991-3511 if these true stories have been a wakeup call for you. Your kids deserve to live life to its fullest potential, and it’s my privilege to help so many do just that.

420 Inverness Corners Birmingham, AL 35242

(205) 991-3511

www.ChiropracticToday.com

280Living.com

August 2013 • A13

Back-to-school style guide By CHANDLER JONES Has summer sun bleached all your cutest clothes? Closets looking a little drab? Weather dwindling all your options? We’ve collected some styles from 280 area retailers to help you find the fashion and flair you need for your back-to-school debut.

Quick, easy and totally preppy

Make those hectic school mornings run a little smoother with quickly paired classic polos and shorts for an instantly polished, ready-tolearn look. Vineyard Vines chose classic attire with club shorts, a polo and a school-appropriate belt. Save the hat for after-school hours. Classic Club Shorts (Maui blue), $30-$70 Classic Polo, Ocean Surf Stripe (hammock green), $75 VV Whale Belt (vineyard navy), $38-$50 Neon Whale Hat (orange), $28

Bright, bold and always trendy

Sweet, sassy and still school savvy

Maxi dresses are always in season. This black Maxi from Ditsy Daisy features an Aztec print on the skirt, a popular print right now. They suggest pairing it with a denim jacket when the weather gets cooler. Complete the look with a wedge shoe and bold statement jewelry.

This ivory lace bell sleeve top from Urban Barn can be worn on the shoulder for school and off the shoulder for a more sophisticated after-school look. Add color with tangerine skinny jeans, and accessorize with both a dainty handmade pearl necklace and a big and bold bangle.

Maxi (black with Aztec print skirt), $49 Wedges (black), $49 Chunky Beaded necklace (coral), $19 Chevron bangles (gold, black and white), $5

Lace Bell-Sleeve Top (ivory), $58 Skinny jeans (tangerine), $20 Macramé wedges (cream), $28 Handmade Pearl Necklace, $18-28

280 Living

A14 • August 2013

Community Shop tax-free the first weekend in August Alabama shoppers can expect to find back to school deals the first weekend of August. The eighth annual sales tax holiday will take place from Aug. 2-4. Shelby County and the City of Chelsea and surrounding communities will once again participate in this weekend of discounts on a variety school supplies, computers and clothing. Homewood, Hoover, Birmingham, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Jefferson County are also taking part in the state-wide holiday. There are a few general price rules for the holiday. Tax-free clothing items must cost less than $100 each, general school supplies

must cost less than $50 each, and computers/ educational computer software purchases can add up to no more than $750. Educational books under $30 will be tax-free, as will school required textbooks between the $30-$50 range. A few guidelines to keep in mind about what is not tax-free: For non-clothing items, the purchase must have some educational value; recreational video games and/or computer software will not be on sale. Clothing that will not be tax-free includes various accessories, such as belt buckles sold separately, costume masks, patches/emblems and more. For more visit revenue.alabama.gov/ salestax/SalesTaxHol.cfm.

Bell Center kicks off football season early The Bell Center will hold a preseason football celebration Saturday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. at The Summit in the parking lot in front of Carmike Cinemas. The Tailgate Challenge benefits the Center’s mission to maximize the potential of children from birth to age three who are at risk for developmental delay. Attendees can enjoy different tailgating food at various team tents during an afternoon of music, kid-friendly events and team rivalry. Celebrity judges will judge each team’s spirit, food and all-around decor. Team tent boosters are responsible for providing tents, decorations and food. Tickets cost $15. Children ages 4-10 are $5, and children 3 and younger get in free. Visit thebellcenter.org or contact Kelly Peoples at 879-3417 for more.

Brooklyn Holt crowned Outstanding Teen Brooklyn Holt, a 16-year-old junior at Oak Mountain High School, was crowned Miss Talladega County’s Outstanding Teen 2014 in July. The pageant awarded more than $5,100 in cash scholarships to contestants. Brooklyn, who was also named physical fitness winner, sang “Last of Me” for the talent portion. Her platform is Raise Your Voice For Children. She received more than $4,100 in scholarships and will represent Talladega County at Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen Pageant at Sylacauga High School in March 2014. She is the daughter of Clarisse Dittenhoefer and Michael Holt. The Miss Talladega County Pageant is a franchise of the Miss Alabama Pageant and Miss America Organization.

Brooklyn Holt, right, was crowned Miss Talladega County’s Outstanding Teen 2014 in July. She is pictured with Miss Talladega County 2014 Elizabeth Wesson.

Dining deals return for annual Restaurant Week Black Market Bar & Grill at the Colonnade is among more than 30 local eateries participating in this year’s Birmingham’s Restaurant Week, scheduled for Aug. 16-25. Featured restaurants will offer special two and/or three-course prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menus ranging from $5-$30 per person. Several menus will also include children’s selections, brunch offerings and drink specials. Other participating restaurants include La Paz, VINO, The Garden Café, Davenport’s Pizza, Satterfield’s, Michael’s Steakhouse, Jojo’s on Broadway, Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega Dining Room, Bottega Café, Chez

Fonfon, Silverton Café, Veranda on Highland, The Wine Loft, Little Savannah, 26, Ocean, Ted’s, Dreamland BBQ, Rusty’s BBQ, Slice, ROJO, Century Restaurant & Bar, John’s City Diner, The J Clyde, Eagle’s Restaurant, Urban Standard and Oscar’s at the Museum. New this year, the BRW Mobile Site Dining Guide will deliver dining details right to your fingertips on your smart phone. BRW is held in conjunction with Alabama Tourism Department’s Year of Alabama Food and is presented by Regions Bank. For more on participating restaurants, menus and other details, visit bhamrestaurantweek.com.

280Living.com

August 2013 • A15

Up for the fight A family’s resolve to create awareness and find a cure By CHANDLER JONES For the first eight weeks of her life, Carly Chandler was a typical baby sister to Colton Chandler. She had 10 fingers, 10 toes and face that melted her parents’ hearts. Then her seizures began, sometimes 10 to 12 times per day. Her diagnosis was something neither her pediatrician nor pediatric neurologist had ever heard of. CDKL5, an acronym for the “cyclindependent kinase-like 5” gene, has become the calling card for a disorder that affects fewer than 700 children across the world. It is a gene recent research suggests is essential to brain function. Unfortunately, the minimal research on the gene reveals more questions than answers. After an agonizing year of invasive tests and continuous negative results, the diagnosis of CDKL5 was delivered a week before Carly’s first birthday. A frame-shift mutation within the gene revealed Carly might never be a typical healthy child. To Carly’s parents, Inverness residents Amy and Dustin, she’s one of the lucky ones. Frequently in cases like Carly’s, children aren’t diagnosed until ages 6-22. These wildly sporadic diagnoses inspired the Chandlers to start KNOW5, a CDKL5 awareness campaign targeted toward the greater Birmingham area. The tag line of the campaign reads: “If you know five people, tell them.” “We want to help other people that don’t have the diagnosis yet,” Dustin said. “I honestly believe that’s our purpose as a family. And her

purpose as a child is touching other’ lives and bringing out awareness to not only for CDKL5 but also rare diseases in general.” Funds raised from the KNOW5 campaign will go to research, awareness and helping affected families, they said. “I see us as the underdogs, and my daughter is an underdog in this whole fight,” Dustin said. “Well, guess what. I’m up for the fight, and so is she, and we’re going to pump this thing until we can’t anymore. It’s fight till the end for me.” The Chandlers’ daily motivation is Carly. Her seizures occur about once per day, but she is legally blind and might never walk. But it won’t be for lack of trying. As parents, Dustin and Amy knew they had two choices: either accept her diagnosis and simply hope for the best, or be active in getting her all the therapies and help available. Amy and Carly attend therapy five times a week at the Bell Center. There, she receives physical, occupational and speech therapy. At Children’s of Alabama, she receives outpatient and private therapy, and she attends swim therapy at The Lakeshore Foundation, which Amy said Carly enjoys the most. “We want her to have a chance to excel in any aspect,” Dustin said. “More than likely, she’s not going to walk, talk and feed herself, but is that going to make us stop and not try to help her walk, talk and feed herself? No. That was the decision we made early on.” Carly’s progress has been slow. She now eats solid foods and can hold her head up for a while. Her parents said they are encouraged

Three-year-old Carly Chandler lives in Inverness, where her parents Amy and Dustin and her brother Colton do whatever possible to see that she stays happy and healthy. Photo by Chandler Jones.

every day by what they see. Until research discovers a cure, the Chandlers are prepared for the uphill battle. Now that the KNOW5 campaign is a part

of their daily routine, the Chandlers are even further committed to finding the answers they need. For more on CDKL5 visit cdkl.org.

280 Living

A16 • August 2013

Running for a better life Race to benefit international ministries of (Un)adopted

R(un) for One

5K and One-Mile Fun Run Benefits (Un)adopted A division of Lifeline Children’s Services Sept. 7, Veterans Park

By CAROLINE DREW There are more than 153 million orphans in the world today, and many of them might never be adopted. Once an orphan is too old to be adopted, he or she is left to fight the uphill battle that is life without a family. There is no way to ensure all of these abandoned young people find homes, but there is a way to help pave the rough road ahead of them. Five hundred people attended the R(un) for One 5K last year, but Elizabeth Gilmer, race organizer, said she expects around 800 runners to attend this year. “Families, sponsors, adults, children — everyone came out,” said Caitlin Miley, race intern, of the event’s previous success. Returning for its second year, the R(un) for One plans to deliver another day of fun for the whole family. After all, this race benefits those who don’t have a family themselves.

R(un) for One’s first annual event drew a large crowd of runners and supporters to Veterans Park last year. (Far left) Adoptive parent Geoffrey Ketcham, left, and Garth Thorpe, a member of Lifeline’s (Un) adopted team and one of the planners for the R(un) for One. Photos courtesy of Lifeline Children’s Services.

The race, which will held be on Sept. 7 in Veterans Park, supports the efforts of (Un)adopted, a division of Lifeline Children Services. (Un)adopted works to meet the physical and spiritual needs of orphans who are unlikely to be adopted due to their older age. Miley said (Un)adopted “provides life skills and shares Christ” with these young people, usually around the age of 16. Funds raised at the R(un) for One will benefit ministries in nine different countries. “It looks different for every place,” Miley said of the (Un)adopted international efforts, which are catered to each nation’s culture. Tents will beset up at the race for

each country and its unique ministry for those who want to learn more. For example, Miley said, deaf children in Uganda are seen as cursed and are cast out of their families. There, (Un)adopted has partnered with a local church to start a school intended to cater to their special needs. Gilmer said she is encouraged by how much the community truly enjoyed last year’s race. “Lots of people hung around long after the race ended, and so many runners told us it was the most fun run they had ever been to,” she said. And how could it not be with all of the post-race activities? According to Gilmer, there will be food, live music from the local up-and-coming band

Cardinal, kids’ activities, a bouncy house, as well as opportunities to learn more about specific ways runners can get involved in (Un) adopted. Food will be donated from a variety of local restaurants such as Jim ‘N Nicks and Doodles. Other local business are contributing to R(un) for One’s success. “We are excited to have Skin Diagnostics return as our event sponsor, as well as many others,” Gilmer said. “There are so many businesses in the Birmingham area that are committed to helping the fatherless both locally and across the world, and this is a great opportunity for them to invest in a ministry that is doing just that and get their name in front of hundreds of people.”

In addition to the 5K race, R(un) for One will also feature a one-mile Children’s Fun Run. This race will begin at 8:45 a.m., and it is not just for kids. Anyone is welcome to take part in the shorter race. The 5K begins at 8 a.m., and registration opens at 7 a.m. Registration for the 5K is $30 by Sept. 6 or $35 on race day. Fun Run registration is $10 by Sept. 6 or $15 on race day. Online registration closes after Sept. 4. Teams are encouraged to register together. To register for R(un) for One or for more, visit unadopted.org/run or call 940-4623. Email any questions to elizabeth.gilmer@lifelinechild.org.

dance south studio www.dancesouth.com 316 Foothills Drive Chelsea, AL 35043 (205) 678-4414

Beginning our 24th year of quality dance instruction in the Shelby County Community Ages 3 & up Ballet • Jazz • Tap • Pre-Pointe • Clogging Co-ed Hip Hop • Dance Team Prep • Gymnastics Contemporary • Competition Dance Teams

Now Enrolling for Fall Classes Classes offered at Dance South Studio in Chelsea and our other locations:

Open late on the third Thursday of every month 10-8

5475 Highway 280 Birmingham, AL • 205-995-4773

Chelsea Park Elementary, Forest Oaks Elementary School, Mt. Laurel Elementary, Inverness Elementary, Oak Mountain Elementary, CASA at Asbury United Methodist Church

Check out www.dancesouth.com for more information!

280Living.com

August 2013 • A17

Save the Os 5K and Lori Johnson Fun Run Save the Os & the Lori Johnson ninth annual 5K and Fun Run is scheduled for Aug. 17. The 5K starts at 8 a.m., the children’s one-mile fun run at 9 a.m. and by 9:30 a.m. organizers will give prizes and awards. Registration opens at 6:30 a.m. The run begins at the Aquatic Center at Greystone Country Club, and the route runs through the community of Greystone. A $75 cash award goes to the top male and top female racer. All participants in the fun run will receive a medal. Top teams will receive recognition, and winners in individual age brackets will also be awarded.

A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the race. Items include a signed Nick Saban football and weeklong vacations to the beach or mountains. Following the race, the Aquatic Center will be open to all participants for an annual belly flop contest. Food and entertainment will be provided. The event and auction benefit the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Register at championship-racing. com/#savetheos5k, or visit http://nlovca.org/ lori-johnson-fun-run, call Cindi Routman at 5856662 or email her at cindi@nlovca.org for more.

Mt Laurel shakes it up The Town of Mt Laurel invites you to join its residents on Aug. 3 at its 10th annual Shake and Bake Run. Beginning at 8 a.m., the trail travels through the roads of Mt Laurel off Hwy. 41. Awards and prizes will be given at the race’s end. Cash awards will go to the top male and female, the two top teams and the two top families. The town’s farmers market will also be open, and Steel City Pops will be handing out

frozen treats. The race will benefit Val Peterson’s Northstar Soccer Ministries, with all funds going to Alabama Women’s Soccer Foundation. The entry fee is $25 for individuals and $20 for groups of four or more. Register online at raceit.com or active.com, by mail or on the day of at the race. Call Bill Kreis at 281-1946 or visit shakeandbake5k.com for more.

Stomp, swim and see at Oak Mountain Events begin at 10 a.m. Lake Stomp - Oak Mountain State Park’s Lake Stomp will be held on Aug. 3 beginning in the Park Office on Terrace Drive. The Stomp will take attendees on an investigation of the State Park’s lakes and streams to find things that can even be found in the backyard pond. Lake Trail Walk - Later in the month, Lake Trail Walk will be held Aug. 17.

OMSP promises “a nice walk along the Lake Trail.” The 2-mile trail extends from the bridge and back. Well-behaved and leashed pets are welcome. Meet at the Marina parking lot on Terrace Drive. Birds of Alabama For all bird watchers, lovers and knowledge enthusiasts: Come to OMSP on Aug. 31 to learn about the 400 to 450 birds species of Alabama. Meet at the Treetop Nature Trail.

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280 Living

A18 • August 2013

Support group forming for individuals with limited sight By JEFF THOMPSON Alicia Woodard said she has a heart for volunteer work – especially caregiving. For years, she served with Hospice and similar organizations, but recently she was forced to abandon her charter. Not for lack of drive, but for lack of sight. “I would always volunteer,” she said. “That’s been taken away now due to my lack of being able to drive. But I still want to help people.” Beginning in August, Woodard is launching the North Shelby Low Vision Support Group. The group is open to anyone 55 and older suffering from limited sight. Woodard said the group would meet monthly to “have a fun, upbeat time,” which would include among other activities taking field trips and playing bingo. The group would also provide featured speakers and forum discussions, where members could learn about new devices that could improve their lives, share resources and talk topics that affect members of the group. “I want to invite people to a place where we’re not moaning groaning since we can’t see right,” Woodard said. Activities would also be provided for friends, family and caregivers who give up parts of their day to drive their loved ones to participate in the group. If Woodard receives enough interest, the group would meet the first Tuesday of every month from 1-3 p.m. She encouraged anyone interested to contact her at 995-5009.

Area students attend Alabama Governor’s School at Samford

Front row: Stefanie Schoeneman, Andrew Forsyth and Gerardo Hernandez-Moreno. Back row: Justin Blount, Shannon Myers, Catherine Milling and Kane Agan.

Eight residents from the Hoover and Vestavia Hills areas were chosen to attend the 2013 session of Alabama Governor’s School at Samford University held in June. Participants included Justin Blount, Andrew Forsyth, Catherine Milling and Stefanie Schoeneman, all of northern Shelby County; Kane Agan and Gerardo HernandezMoreno, both of Pelham; and Shannon Myers of Helena. AGS participants received college level experience in academics, creativity and leadership. Course topics included the arts, law, healthcare and entrepreneurship – 16 varied subjects in all. Students also participated in a service project in Woodlawn, visited American Village in Montevallo and attended a Birmingham

Barons baseball game. Blount, son of Jeffrey Blount and Karen Blount, attends Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School. Forsyth, Milling and Schoeneman all attend Spain Park High School. Forsyth is the son of Stephen Forsyth and Peggy Forsyth. Milling is the daughter of Kimberly and Kyle Milling. Schoeneman is the daughter of Debbie and Steve Schoeneman. AGS students are nominated by their schools on the basis of academic ability, leadership qualities, creativity and community service. Selection is also based on teacher and guidance counselor nominations and a written essay. This year’s AGS participants represented 53 high schools in 29 counties.

280Living.com

August 2013 • A19

School House ‘Meet the Teacher’ at Mt laurel Mt Laurel Elementary is excited to begin another school year on Monday, Aug. 19. MLES can’t wait to welcome back all of its students and teachers as a K-fifth grade school. “Meet the Teacher” orientation will be held on two different days this year to accommodate growth. Check the schedule to the right and come meet your child’s teacher for the 2013-2014 school year.

Start the year off right!

Wednesday, Aug. 14: 3 p.m. – Kindergarten 3:30 p.m. – First Grade 4 p.m. – Second Grade Thursday, Aug. 15: 3 p.m. – Third Grade 3:30 p.m. – Fourth Grade 4 p.m. – Fifth Grade

MLES student, Emily Rhodes and Miss Beth Ansley during the 2012 “Meet the Teacher” orientation at Mt Laurel.

OMES awarded grants to enhance learning and physical fitness Oak Mountain Elementary has been awarded three grants that will be used to enhance learning and encourage physical fitness and health. The school library has been awarded two grants from the Greater Shelby County Education Foundation. Funds received from the grants will be used to purchase Nooks and iPads, as well as to develop a year-long project called a “Creativi-tea.” The project will be a way for OMES to showcase its imagination and creative

talents in a variety of formats. The Physical Education Department was also awarded a $9,543 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Be Healthy School Grant. The grant amount was based on curriculum goals that involved exercise, nutrition and parental involvement within the program. OMES administration said it was grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield for providing this grant so they can continue to enhance the program.

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A20 •August 2013

Health is elementary

280 Living

Creating a healthy county begins by raising healthy children, and Shelby is proving it By JEFF THOMPSON

Alexander said Shelby County’s parents were largely prepared for the shift. “At first, whole-grain bread required a learning curve,” she said. “But with the obesity crisis, everybody’s level of awareness changed. When we started in Shelby County, it was by mandate not choice. But we had great cooperation because this population was already educated on eating healthy.”

For Shelby County students, training for a healthy lifestyle is an unavoidable part of schooling. The moment they walk through the doors, physical education and nutrition take priority alongside reading and writing. But for many, preparation for a healthy life started long before. As more parents are becoming increasingly aware of the growing childhood obesity epidemic, more are seeking to teach healthy behaviors early. And it’s happening from Hoover to Calera. In April, a study declared Shelby County as the healthiest in the state. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute conducted the study, which compared Alabama’s counties across 25 categories. Shelby County was at or near the top in almost every factor surveyed, but it excelled in areas related to the health of its children. Exercise The study found that Shelby boasts the most active population in the state, with just 24 percent of county residents reportedly physically inactive. At Greystone Elementary, students are not only required to participate in physical activity for 30 minutes a day, they’re also encouraged to participate in many extracurricular physical activities like the Jaguar Running Club, Jump Rope for Heart and even the Mercedes Marathon. “The main thing we stress is that we aren’t going to talk much, but we are going to get moving as soon as possible,” said Greystone Physical Education Teacher Rand Payton. “We start in kindergarten, and their physical education is high-intensity from then on.” Payton said that with children, teaching a healthy lifestyle starts both by encouraging exercise and leading by example, which is also important when it comes to what they eat. “As educators, we can talk about healthy eating,” he said. “But we definitely never want to see a PE teacher come out on the gym floor

Active, outdoor events like Celebrate Hoover Day that encourage children to exercise might be a contributor to Shelby County’s ranking as healthiest in the State. Photo by Jeff Thompson.

with a Twinkie in hand.” Leading by example has worked. The county also has the second-lowest obesity rate in the state at 28 percent. And, as children grow in both the Hoover and Shelby County systems, they’re constantly reminded of the building blocks of a healthy life. It’s led Shelby County to the highest percentage of children who attend college (74 percent), the state’s lowest unemployment rate (6.3 percent) and one of the leading graduation rates (86 percent). Eating right August’s lunch menu for Shelby County schools includes fresh vegetables every day of the week and no mention of cookies. The daily offerings aren’t unlike those from other schools in the state, but Shelby County was one of the first systems in the nation to make the shift from

fried foods and sweet desserts to English peas and pineapple chunks. As a result, 20 Shelby County elementary and intermediate schools were among the first to earn the Healthier U.S. School Challenge Gold Award with Distinction on a system-wide basis. It was the result of collaborative efforts between school nutrition staff, wellness coordinators, faculty and the school community, and it earned system administration a congratulatory meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama in 2010. “In 2005, the State of Alabama along with the USDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) developed more stringent guidelines,” said Maureen Alexander, coordinator of the Shelby County Board of Education’s Child Nutrition Program. “Schools had to meet higher standards for snacks and foods sold during school day.”

Social factors Shelby also leads the state in social factors judged by the study – and by no small margin. It reportedly has the lowest rate of children in poverty at 12 percent, 8 percent lower than the next county on the list, and it has the lowest rate of children in single-parent homes at 19 percent, 5 percent lower than any other. Both of these figures place the county ahead of the RWJF’s national benchmarks for 2013 and in the 90th percentile nationwide. However, some in the county don’t see those numbers as a victory. “The first thing is, I always tell people there are 9,100 kids in Shelby County on free or reduced lunch,” said Ward Williams, founder and director of Vineyard Family Services. “Even if that is the lowest in the state, it’s not a low number.” Williams sees that 12 percent as 5,728 children in poverty and the 19 percent as 9,450 children in single-parent homes, which his organization is actively working to reduce. “Family dynamics are one of most stressful things in anyone’s life, period,” Williams said. “Poverty leads to conflict, which a lot of people in poverty have a lower capacity to handle. It affects a child’s ability to learn because when kid is hungry, that’s all he’s thinking about.” Overall, the county has prioritized raising healthier generations than the ones before and it shows. But those on the front lines of the fight know there is and will be room for improvement for generations to come. So, what’s next, Alexander said, is to keep at it. “Our goal is that we keep taking the lemons and making lemonade,” she said. “Just, with a little less sugar.”

280Living.com

August 2013 • A21

Learning outside the box

New Montessori school welcomes all ages to its community By MADOLINE MARKHAM When it opens this month, Stonecreek Montessori School will bring two missing puzzles piece to Birmingham: a nonreligious school that covers all grades and a Montessori curriculum for high school. Students of all ages will be taught on an individualized path of learning at the school. When studying history, they will analyze primary and secondary sources and ask how valid a source is, developing skills to support opinions with evidence. Teachers want them to developing healthy habits, not just memorize facts. Likewise, math focuses more on understanding number concepts than memorizing multiplication tables. The school puts emphasis on not just traditional scholastic learning but on application. Fourth through sixth graders will research and plan their own field trips. Younger students will apply their math skills on trips to the grocery store. Enrollment for the school’s inaugural year is currently at about 60 students, but Director Melinda Bray said it hopes to more than double that number as they grow, capping at around 160 students and always maintaining a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. For this first year, 11 students enrolled are high-school age, and 14 are middle-school age. Much like Montessori elementary schools, these students will learn in paired groupings of grades seven and eight, grades nine and 10, and grades 11 and 12. “Teachers can go faster on a topic when they are honed in on where

each student is,” Bray said. The specific vision for the school came from Connie Edwards, a mom who had seen her second grader flourish in a year of Montessori schooling and desired for him to have a similar high school experience. Since planning for the school got off the ground in the spring, Edwards has served as its volunteer Chief Operating Officer, while fellow mom Ream Shoreibanh heads up marketing for the school and Anne Stanton, who has an MBA from Harvard University, heads up the business end on a volunteer basis. Stonecreek Montessori students participate in a game night this summer to Students refer to these three bond before the school year begins. Photo courtesy of Melinda Bray. and Bray as the “founding mothers.” All students will also participate in college graduate, could not answer. “We are moms who dream of It was this experience that sparked a service project once a week. To start creating a healthy community for our a lifelong quest to help students learn with, they will have three options of children,” Bray said. “Most of our better, a quest that brought her to earn nonprofit organizations, but they teachers are moms, too.” a doctorate in education at Vanderbilt will be encouraged to develop their Their maternal perspective and then continue to study how own interests from there with the has influenced much of how they students learn — the fruit of which help of a corporate life skills coach structured the school. For instance, led her to teach and lead Montessori turned teacher (who is also a mom of Stonecreek offers “specialized PE” schools in Birmingham and now start students). with gymnastics, soccer, karate and a pioneering journey. Particularly unique to the school other athletic activities during the “I always wanted to be a director will be learning Spanish in an school day instead of allowing these of a school but never thought I’d start immersion setting. Students will these sorts of lessons and practices to one of my own,” Bray said. “It’s a speak only Spanish with their eat into family time in the evenings. dream come true to work with these Spanish teacher and will do so for a Bray, who originally planned teachers.” full hour each day, though some of to attend law school, stumbled Most Stonecreek students are that time might be spent playing on into education while teaching in coming out of other Montessori the playground with him. Switzerland after college. schools, but some are looking for A majority of students who There she found her 10-year- something new to go at their own attend existing Montessori schools old students asking her questions pace — generally either because they through middle school go on to like, “Why you do things like flip are ahead in school or have learning enroll at Indian Springs School or a fraction in math?” These, she disabilities and are looking for a The Altamont School, according to discovered, were questions she, a different approach to learning. Bray, but Stonecreek wants to offer

both a more affordable option and one that provides an opportunity to study at a depth appropriate to each individual student. The “founding mothers” want the school to be more than a school, too. They envision to be a tight-knit community. And indeed this sense of community has already come to life this summer as they unpacked $200,000 worth of Montessori materials in warehouse together on Tuesday nights and gathered for game nights and pool parties with their families — just as they plan to continue to camp, hike and do more together throughout the year. As a part of Stonecreek, parents will teach parents and kids what they are learning at “community café” events, and twice a semester where students perform a song, recite a poem or otherwise celebrate what they have learned in a sort of mini talent show called a “Montessori moment.” Parents will also join the school for lunch once a month. “Research shows that families are healthy when they eat, play and read together,” Bray said. “So we wanted do to that as a school family.” The school will temporarily be housed in Christ Church United Methodist off Caldwell Mill Road behind Spain Park High School while it looks for a permanent location in the 119/Valleydale area where it can be central to students coming from Ross Bridge, Riverchase, Greystone and other areas. For more information, visit stonecreekmontessori.org.

A22 • August 2013

Be prepared

280 Living

ALDOT is encouraging drivers to familiarize themselves with changes to U.S. 280. Find your intersection below. Beginning just before The Summit and moving East down U.S. 280, here is what drivers can expect to encounter at the intersections to be updated after Aug. 5. • Brookwood Green Trace West – A concrete island is being installed to eliminate turning left from Brookwood Green Trace onto U.S. 280 eastbound to improve safety. • Cahaba Ridge Road / Dolly Ridge Road – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. A third left-turn lane is being added from Cahaba River Road to U.S. 280 westbound. • Chevron median intersection – The grass median is being extended into the intersection to eliminate left turns from the service station parking lot onto U.S. 280 westbound. • Summit Boulevard – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. • Grandview Parkway / Perimeter Park South (west intersection) – The traffic signal is being relocated to Perimeter Park South East, and a

concrete island is being installed in the median. The intersection will be right-in, right-out only. • Perimeter Park South East – A signal is being installed for eastbound traffic. ALDOT is installing an “Alabama T” at this intersection, which features a channelized acceleration lane for vehicles turning left onto U.S. 280 from Perimeter Park South. • Grandview Parkway (east intersection) – The traffic signal remains, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. Second turn lanes are being installed from Grandview South onto 280 westbound and from 280 eastbound to Grandview North. The median opening east of this intersection is being removed. • Cahaba Road / Fire Station – The traffic signal will remain, but will be for emergency use only. • Riverview Road – A second left turn lane is being added from U.S. 280 westbound onto Riverview Road. • Cahaba Park Circle (west intersection) – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These

maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. Dual left-turn lanes are being added from the Target access. • Cahaba Park Circle (east intersection) – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel from Cahaba Park Circle to Key Drive is being eliminated. A second left-turn lane is being added from Cahaba Park Circle to U.S. 280 eastbound. Direct access to Riverview Animal Clinic from U.S. 280 is being removed. Key Drive is being converted to right-in, right-out only. To access Key Drive from U.S. 280 westbound, drivers will use U-turn maneuvers or the left-turn lane at the Cahaba Park Circle west intersection, which connects to Cahaba River Road. • Resource Center Drive – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated with the addition of a grass median. Traffic turning left from U.S. 280 westbound onto Resource Center Drive will be protected by a concrete channel during acceleration for safety. • Inverness Parkway – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. A third left-turn lane will be added from Inverness Parkway

northbound, and a second left-turn lane will be added from Inverness Parkway southbound. • Inverness Center Drive / Greenhill Parkway – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. Additional U-turn lanes are being added for U.S. 280 eastbound and westbound traffic. • Valleydale Road / Cahaba Beach Road – Left turns from Valleydale and Cahaba Beach Roads will occur simultaneously with left turns from U.S. 280 eastbound and westbound by installing a “Michigan left.” While on U.S. 280, eastbound and westbound drivers who wish to turn left onto Valleydale and Cahaba Beach Roads will be directed straight through the intersection and into U-turn lanes in front of Home Depot and the east end of Inverness Corners. When the signal at the U-turn turns green, drivers will complete the U-turn and return to the Valleydale intersection and make a right turn. This design allows for a reduction in wait time for U.S. 280 drivers by allowing eight lanes to simultaneously maneuver instead of the current four. • Brook Highland Parkway / Meadow Brook Drive – The

traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. Left-turn lanes from U.S. 280 eastbound onto Brook Highland Parkway will be extended. The median opening that currently allows U.S. 280 westbound traffic to access Meadowview Drive will be removed. A second left-turn lane will be added from Inverness Parkway northbound to access U.S. 280 westbound. • Corporate Parkway – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections. A second left-turn lane is being added for U.S. 280 westbound traffic. • Meadowlark Drive - Grass medians are being extended to limit access points from business parking lots connected to highway. A concrete island is being installed in the median at the Meadowlark Drive intersection to eliminate left turns from side streets to U.S. 280 eastbound and westbound. • Hugh Daniel Drive – The traffic signal will remain, but direct travel across the intersection from side streets is being eliminated. These maneuvers would require U-turns at other intersections.

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August 2013 • A23

SAFETY

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working our way down to Doug Baker.” Fleming said drivers could expect to see substantial activity in target intersections, including excavation of islands in medians, widening in intersections and new concrete being poured. He added that all work would take place at night. But cross I-459 heading west into Birmingham, and things should be different from here on. “There won’t be much left to do in that area,” Fleming said. “By the time this publication comes out, we’ll pretty much have everything repaved, new curbs and concrete islands will be installed, and there will be new striping.” ALDOT’s Intersection Improvement Plan, first revealed to the public in October 2012, is designed to increase the average speed of travel through 27 famously congested intersections. The state anticipates the work will wrap up before Thanksgiving, as does Fleming. Once complete, the project will alter the way many drivers enter the highway, as some traffic signals will be removed and multiple intersections will no longer allow left turns onto U.S. 280 from side streets. “I can pretty much guarantee that when it’s all said and done, it’s going to be a mess,” said Mark Meadows, owner of Chick-fil-A in Inverness. “Today, when a car comes in from Mississippi or Texas, they don’t understand how 280 works. You can imagine what it will be like in November when everybody is new to it. “For the first few days, I can’t imagine the calls ALDOT is going to get.” Meadows has a unique perspective on the project. His Chick-fil-A is one of the highestvolume locations, situated in the top 1 percent of the company, Meadows said. It also boasts the highest volume during breakfast service of any Chick-fil-A franchise in the nation. He could easily be considered the measuring

stick for vehicle volume on the corridor, and he’s putting his faith – at least for now – in the project and the people behind it. Meadows recently joined other business owners from the Cahaba Park Circle area for a meeting with ALDOT Director John Cooper and Darrell Skipper of Skipper Consulting. Skipper has worked on the project since its inception in 2012. Meadows said he left the meeting feeling thankful for the time he was afforded. He added he felt though the changes might not be ideal for him and other business owners, he believed ALDOT had the people in mind. “The bottom line is, it’s going to happen,” Meadows said. “I sell chicken. That’s what I do. These guys maneuver traffic, and my perception is that the majority of people are yelling about their difficulty in getting from point A to point B on 280.” ALDOT Division 3 Engineer Brian Davis said drivers who use the intersections in Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills that could be finished by Aug. 5 should prepare for the changes. “Some maneuvers will be very different on completion than the ones drivers have gotten used to making in the last seven years,” Davis said. “Drive slowly and cautiously, and make plans to ride through on the weekend to get used to the changes.” Fleming also urged drivers to play it safe as construction continues. “We’re concerned on a daily basis for the safety of our forces and the public,” he said. “This is a high-profile job on a heavily traveled road, and we’re working in confined areas and in medians. I encourage the public to observe construction speed zones and be aware of our people working right up next to traffic.” Davis said ALDOT began distributing educational material and airing television commercials in July to get motorists acclimated to the changes.

A24 • August 2013

280 Living

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SECTION

B 2013 Football Previews Sports B2 Opinion B12 Calendar B14

By WILL HIGHTOWER

all is just around the corner, and with it comes football. High school teams all over Alabama have been practicing all summer to prepare for another hard-fought season. 280 Living will be covering the teams along the U.S. 280 corridor, including Spain Park, Briarwood, Chelsea and Oak Mountain. The Jaguars are coming off their first region championship in school history. The Lions plan to keep their momentum from a surprising playoff run last season. The Hornets are hoping for a fresh start with new head coach Chris Elmore. And the Eagles will try to replicate 2012, which was their first winning season in five years. No matter unfolds during the season, 280 Living will have these teams covered, starting with this month’s football previews.

August 2013 • A25

157 Resource Center Parkway Suite 102

Behind Logan’s Roadhouse on 280 Your source for teams sports

205-981-0291

B2 A26 â&#x20AC;˘ August 2013

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B3 August 2013 • A27

Sports

Meet the area’s new coaches Chelsea Head Football Coach Chris Elmore

SPHS Head Football Coach Shawn Raney Age: 45

Hobbies outside of football: “I play golf. I shoot anywhere from 82 to a 92. I shot 88 yesterday, and I was thrilled. I just love doing that. I’ll never be good because I play for two months and then pack them up. I enjoy doing it because it’s a self-driving sport. You can always get better. You’re never happy with what you did.

Wife: Jennifer College days: Graduated with a mathematics degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State while starting on the football team for two years. Raney was named All-Conference at strong safety. Coaching experience: After seven years as a high school coach in Oklahoma and two at Butler County Community College in Kansas, Raney coached defensive backs at UAB from 2004-2006. He then held the same position under Gene Chizik at Iowa State University before moving back to Birmingham to coach high school football. After one year at Oak Mountain, Raney engineered the defenses at Hoover for three years under Josh Niblett, culminating last season in a 15-0 state championship run. Thoughts on leaving Hoover: “I love Josh [Niblett]. When you have a career change at age 40 after I got basically fired from Iowa State, that’s a hard pill to swallow. I had planned always to be a college coach, and I had reached the highest point

I enjoy landscaping also. My best friend and I started a company at age 24 making $1,300 a week. It’s a lot of work but I enjoy it.” Shawn Raney

you could reach. It was taken away from me like that. I had made a full circle in my career, which was tough to deal with. Josh is a great Christian man, and I needed that in my life at that time. I could’ve stayed there forever with him. I enjoyed it. He’s an offensive guy, so he left us on defense alone. I could’ve stayed at Hoover and won 15 games every year, run the defense and been happy. But I had picked four schools in the area that I would’ve taken, and Spain Park was on the list.”

Thoughts on the difference between Hoover and Spain Park: “Hoover and Spain Park are very similar. But football at Hoover is a way of life, and it’s been like that for many years. This school is new and trying to start new tradition. Spain Park doesn’t have the tradition that Hoover does. No one in the country does. Rather than being an Alabama guy, fiveyear-old kids growing up in Hoover want to be a Hoover Buc first. And I think that is lacking here because it is a new school. But I think we can get that established. I really do. It will just take some time.”

Age: 36 Wife: Cassandra Children: Callie, 3, and Troy, 1. Playing Days: Played quarterback and safety at Fort Payne. Coaching experience: Coached nine years as offensive coordinator at Hueytown, including coaching quarterback Jameis Winston, who now plays at Florida State University. Before he was a coach, he was a: Golf pro at an upscale country club in Cleveland, Ohio. He met Cassandra in Cleveland, and they moved to the South to coach. What he’s learned about coaching from his father and grandfather: “What I learned from both of them, probably more than coaching, is just the kind of men they were: the character they had, how they

Chris Elmore

treated people, and how when they would see former players, how their former players viewed them. The immediate respect you saw that they got. Both of them were disciplinarians and they were tough, but neither one of them were yellers or screamers and hollerers. They demanded respect in their own way, and I think their players appreciated that and loved them for it.”

Now open for lunch on Saturdays starting at 11am

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Briarwood Christian lions

Chandler Wilkins directs the team at quarterback during a game last season. Wilkins will be featured at defensive back this year, with Will Edwards starting at quarterback. Photos courtesy of extreme-shoots.com.

2013SCHedule Date 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/17 10/25 11/1

Opponent Eagles’ Landing, GA Sylacauga* Homewood* Shelby County* (HC) Gardendale Talladega* Chilton County* Ramsay* John Carroll* Pinson Valley

Location Away Home Away Home Away Away Home Away Home Home

*Region game

Time 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

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2012 Results: After a 4-6 regular season, the Lions shocked second-ranked Jackson in the first round of the playoffs with a 31-13 win. The team followed that up with another upset, this time at home against Vigor with a touchdown pass with eight seconds left to win 14-13. The season ended in the third round with a 24-3 loss at St. Paul’s. Head Coach: Fred Yancey (225-72 in 23 years at Briarwood). Key Losses: WR Daniel Robert, WR Sam Morris, LB/DE Jordan Carroll, DL Jonathan Paramore. Key Players: QB Will Edwards, RB Vic Jerald, WR Braden Housel, LB Ethan Simmons, CB Chandler Wilkins, DE Daniel Scott, C/DL Jake Bracewell, LB/S Collier Smith.

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B5 August 2013 • A29

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Returning starters aim for Region title A

fter an electrifying finish to an up-and-down 2012 season, the Briarwood football team is preparing for the 2013 season with several key players back from injuries. Quarterback Will Edwards is back after missing all of last year with a collarbone injury, as is running back Vic Jerald, who was out with a broken ankle. Chandler Wilkins, who stepped in for the Lions at quarterback last season and led them to two upset victories in the playoffs, will be moving to cornerback. Briarwood unexpectedly ran into a rash of injuries in 2012 and finished with a disappointing 4-6 regular season record. However, once the playoffs rolled around, the luck started to come the Lions’ way. “We had no experience and lots of injuries that just crippled us,” head coach Fred Yancey said. “I’ll be honest, I kind of lost hope when that happened because we had to play the No. 2 team in the state right away. But this is where the guys really came through. They knew they were getting better and never got discouraged.” The team traveled to Jackson in the first round and pulled off a shocking 31-13 win. The game was never close. “It all came together that first round,” Yancey said. “They were probably not as excited about the game as we were, and we knocked them off. It gave confirmation to our guys that all the hard work we had been doing was worth it. We were finally getting good.” The Lions’ second round game was

Ethan Simmons (20) and his teammates make a tackle last season. Simmons was named the 2012 Shelby County Lineman of the Year.

Running back Vic Jerald (4) returns for his senior season.

a matchup with Vigor, which Yancey dubbed a “loaded gun” because of the multiple SEC recruits on the team. In the freezing cold, Briarwood kept it close and, with a touchdown pass from Wilkins to Sam Morris, won the game with eight seconds remaining. “That was probably as big a win as Briarwood has ever had in the history of the school, and that includes some state championship wins,” Yancey said. “That was just monumental to beat a team that good like we did.” A 24-3 loss to St. Paul’s ended the team’s Cinderella playoff run in the third round. The Lions are hoping that momentum can carry into this season.

The entire backfield is returning from injuries and has in-game experience. Edwards is a dual-threat quarterback who will keep defenses guessing. Replacing Morris and fellow receiver Daniel Robert will be the team’s biggest challenge on offense. Brayden Housel will be stepping into the main receiver role. On defense, all-state linebacker Ethan Simmons is coming off a 200-tackle season. Yancey called Simmons a “relentless, amazing high school football player.” Collier Smith, who has spent time both at linebacker and safety, will complement Simmons in the secondary. Returning starter Daniel Scott will anchor the

defensive line. Senior Jake Bracewell will play a big role on both sides of the ball this season, playing every down on offense and rotating on defense. “Jake will be our starting center on offense, and a starting lineman on defense,” Yancey said. “That’s rare. We rarely have guys that start both sides, but Jake is going to be a key leader and a key player.” Yancey, who also serves as the school’s athletic director and is entering his 44th year of coaching high school football, said that this team is certain to put a lot of points on the board. “Scoring from afar will be this team’s strong point,” Yancey said. “Good football teams have the ability to score quickly. If you have to put together 12- or 13-play drives to score, you’re limited. We’ve had that in the past, and it’s a hard way to make a living. It’s better when you have guys that can score quickly.” Yancey’s focus this spring and summer has been working to regain

the team’s self-confidence. “Last year – make no bones about it – really shook our confidence,” Yancey said. “Confidence is such a shaky deal in life and in football. If we can win some games early and gain confidence, then we have the chance to become great as the season goes. We just need to believe in ourselves.” If the Lions are hoping to win some games early on, they will have to be prepared; their first game is against Eagles’ Landing, one of the top teams in Georgia. Yancey called them a “measuring stick” for how the Lions stack up against truly great teams. After the out-of-state opener, the Lions dive into region play. Homewood and Sylacauga look to be the biggest challengers for the region title. “Our goal is to win the region championship,” Yancey said. “As we look back, including last year for sure, those teams were unselfish and had a tremendous desire to stay alive. That’s special. I see that same desire in this team.”

280 Living

A30 B6 â&#x20AC;˘August 2013

Chelsea Fighting Hornets

Trent Hagin (10) returns at quarterback for the Hornets. Photos courtesy of Cari Dean.

2013schedule Date 8/29 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1

Opponent John Carroll Thompson* Spain Park* Stanhope Elmore* Tarrant Oak Mountain* Wetumpka* Pelham* Prattville* Shelby County *Region game

Location Home Home Away Away Home Home Away Away Home Away

Time 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

2012 Results: Moved from 5A to 6A and finished 4-6, near the bottom of Region 4. Head Coach: Chris Elmore is entering his first season at Chelsea. He was previously the offensive coordinator at Hueytown. Key Losses: RB Julius McCall, WR Cooper Page. Key Players: RB Austin Washington, DT/ OL Troy Marshall, QB Trent Hagin, RB Aki Coles, LB Jon Wilson, S/K Taylor Martindale, WR Josh Pugh.

mix of coaching ingenuity, detailed organization, and a strong coaching pedigree is coming to the Chelsea football program this year. New head coach Chris Elmore is leading a team looking to bounce back after a tough first year in 6A. Elmore, who is the former Hueytown offensive coordinator, is already working to plan everything out for a successful season. But a few short months ago, Elmore had no idea he would be in this position. There was a vacancy for the Hueytown head coaching job, and Elmore thought he

280Living.com

August 2013 • A31 B7

Hornets look to bounce back under Elmore

Shane Sibert (79) is part of a strong offensive line, which coach Chris Elmore called the “backbone of the team.”

Austin Washington (29) is a versatile player for the Hornets with experience at drfensive back and running back.

had a good shot at getting it after spending time at offensive coordinator. When that didn’t work out, the Fort Payne native had to look elsewhere. A mere three days after he found out he didn’t get the Hueytown job, Elmore interviewed for the Chelsea job. Two days after the interview, Chelsea offered him the position. “It all happened in about five days,” Elmore said. “It was a whirlwind because it literally went from ‘I’m about to be the next Hueytown coach,’ to all of a sudden, out of nowhere, now I’m a head coach at Chelsea. It was wild. Obviously God had a plan for me. I couldn’t be happier.” Former coach Wade Waldrop left the program in a good place, but the Hornets still are behind

other schools in their region. Elmore is putting together a unique plan to be competitive in Region 4. Part of his plan includes the somewhat radical idea of playing seven to 10 players on both defense and offense. Playing both sides of the ball is something common with smaller schools, but it is rarely seen in 6A. “I know a lot of people say you can’t play guys both ways in 6A,” Elmore said. “And I know what they’re saying, but at the same time, you have to put your best players out there. If that means one guy has to play half the game on offense and the whole game on defense, then that’s what you have to do. You have to give yourself a chance to win.” Another aspect of Elmore’s coaching is meticulously planned practices and meetings, something he learned from his grandfather and father, both former football coaches. “Both my dad and grandad were very organized and very detailed,” Elmore said.

“Everything we did was very scheduled down to the minute. For example, we had times for each position to go out and warm up before games. If your time was 5:57, you didn’t go out a minute early or a minute late. That’s how I plan to do things here.” The Hornets will have to replace All-State running back Julius McCall, who was one of the bright spots for Chelsea last season. McCall, who accounted for the bulk of the team’s offensive yardage last season, signed with Troy State University to play in college. Austin Washington and Aki Coles look to take over the running duties, while Trent Hagin will return at quarterback. “Trent is going to have a good season,” Elmore said. “He has all the intangibles, and he is a great game manager. He knows our system really well.” A strong offensive line will be protecting Hagin and company, anchored by senior Troy Marshall. Marshall will also be featured on the

Aki Coles (21) will help fill the void at running back following the graduation of All-State back Julius McCall.

defensive line and has already received offers from several colleges. “In general, I expect good things from our entire offensive line,” Elmore said. “I really like that whole group. Troy and another five or six are solid, smart, hard-working kids who do whatever you ask them to do. They’ve got to be the most dependable kids on the team, and it’s the hardest position to learn. They’ll end up being the backbone of the team.” Linebacker John Wilson and safety Taylor Martindale look to be the leaders on defense. Martindale also returns kicks. The schedule, like it was in 2012, will be difficult. The Hornets want to improve on their 4-6 record, even if it means they have to beat teams with larger enrollment numbers. “We tell the kids every day, if you can’t enjoy that challenge – if you’re not excited about the fact that you’re the little guy and everyone else doesn’t think you can do anything, then there’s something wrong with you,” Elmore said.

280 Living

A32 B8 â&#x20AC;˘ August 2013

Oak Mountain eagles

Junior running back Josh Gaines (5) is coming off a strong sophomore effort. Photos courtesy of J.J. Roupe.

2013SCHedule Date 8/29 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1

Opponent Shades Valley Wetumpka* Stanhope Elmore* Pelham* Pell City Chelsea* Spain Park* Prattville* Thompson* Clay-Chalkville *Region game

Location Away Home Away Home Home Away Home Away Home Away

Time 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

2012 Results: In head coach Cris Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first season on the job, the Eagles went 7-4 to claim their first winning season since 2007. The season ended at Auburn High School with a firstround playoff loss. Head Coach: Cris Bell (7-4 in one year at Oak Mountain). Key Losses: QB Jake Adams, FB Scotty Hester, OL Billy Dasher, LB John Michael Montgomery. Key Players: QB Warren Shader, RB Josh Gaines, RB Harold Shader, CB Chris Johnson, LB Riley Fowler, S Luke Driskill, DL Cortland Walters, DL Andrew Adams.

280Living.com

August 2013 • A33 B9

Bell out to prove that 2012 was no ﬂuke

Harold Shader (34), class of 2015, helped Oak Mountain achieve its first winning season in five years.

apparent. Joining him in the backfield are returning starters Josh Gaines and Harold Shader at running back, both juniors. “Josh and Harold give us a good chance to be good offensively,” Bell said. “We emphasize the run. Our strength will be running the football again, but we need to throw more than we did last year.” On defense, Bell said linebacker Riley Fowler and safety Luke Driskill are becoming “tremendous leaders.” However, the secondary and the defensive line are low on depth, making avoiding injuries a point of vital importance. Even with so much inexperience, Bell likes the direction his senior class is leading the team. “We’ve got a senior class that is very, very hungry,” Bell said. “Attitude is our biggest strength. I think our kids understand that we’re not going to out-talent a lot of people, so it comes down to those things like chemistry and work ethic and playing hard – and our kids understand and buy into that. These guys feel they have something to prove.

ak Mountain head coach Cris Bell sees the 2013 season as an indicator of the future of the program. Last season, Bell’s first, was the team’s first winning season in five years. This season will determine whether last year was the start of a new age of Eagle football, or if it was just a fluke. “We hope we still have that hunger and desire,” Bell said. “It’s a new team, a new group. This team has a different dynamic. They know that people are going to look at us and ask ‘Is this the old Oak Mountain, or is this new team here to stay?’” The 2012 Eagles went 7-4 against a difficult schedule. The win-loss record of their opponents was the strongest since 2005. Although Oak Mountain only returns eight of 22 starters from that team – a fact that Bell jokes would have most coaches “on suicide watch” – several of those returners are stepping into leadership roles and guiding those with less experience. Quarterback Jake Adams graduated, and sophomore Warren Shader looks to be the heir

Senior cornerback Chris Johnson (8) is one of few returning starters in the Eagles’ secondary.

They want to develop their own sense of identity, and make their own legacy. They have a strong sense of purpose about them and I’m excited to see that.” Bell also said the kicking game will be a strength for the Eagles, with punter Blake

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Miller and placekicker DJ Garber returning. Region 4 looks to be tough once again, with Prattville, Spain Park and StanhopeElmore all expected to be strong. But if the Eagles continue the success they started last year, anything could happen.

280 Living

A34 B10 •August 2013

Spain Park Jaguars

Senior wide receiver Jourdan Walker (3) will look to help the offense reload after losing three-year starting quarterback Nick Mullens.

2013SCHedule Date 8/30 9/6 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/18 10/25 11/1

Opponent Austin Prattville* Chelsea* Wetumpka* Lee Montgomery Thompson* Oak Mountain* Stanhope Elmore* Pelham* Oxford *Region game

Location Home Away Home Home Away Home Away Home Away Away

Time 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

2012 Results: Finished 10-3 as Region 4 champions. Lost in the third round of the playoffs to CarverMontgomery, ending the season ranked No. 5 in 6A. Head Coach: Shawn Raney is entering his first season at Spain Park. Previously, he was a highly successful defensive coordinator at Hoover. Key Losses: QB Nick Mullens, WR M.J. Brown, WR Cade Hoffman, WR Drake Grisham, DB Je’Niah Jackson, DL Jacob Chaffin, LB Jacob Wolkow. Key Players: DL Devin Pughsley, QB Mickey Forrest, CB Austin Haight, WR Jourdan Walker.

280Living.com

B11 August 2013 • A35

Raney looking to win from day one Photos courtesy of Ted Melton at Action Sports Pix, which covers Spain Park sporting events and donates 20 percent of its profits from the sale of photos to the SPHS Athletic Department. For more, visit ActionSportsPix.SmugMug.com.

Senior running back Jordan Dukes heads upfield during a 2012 game.

s Spain Park prepares for the 2013 season, some familiar faces are gone and some new faces have taken their place. Head coach Chip Lindsey and quarterback Nick Mullens, two mainstays of the program in recent years, have moved on, while Shawn Raney and Mickey Forrest are ready to fill their shoes. Lindsey accepted an off-the-field assistant job with Gus Malzahn at Auburn after three years of coaching the Jaguars. Mullens, who rewrote the Spain Park record book in his three years as a starter, graduated and will be playing at the University of Southern Mississippi. His 3,649 yards passing and 40 touchdowns with only seven interceptions last season will be hard to replace. But the Jaguars aren’t reminiscing on seasons past. Raney is busy installing his coaching philosophies in preparation for the season opener on Aug. 30. “For me as a head coach, I want to be good defensively and run the football,” Raney said. “That’s going to be our identity. I think with our personnel on defense, we have a chance to be

Senior linebacker Samuel Berry (34) makes a tackle last season in a 43-13 win over Central High School.

pretty good.” Raney is familiar with Spain Park, albeit as a rival coach. Previously, he served as Hoover’s defensive coordinator. However, Raney said his transition was easy, and he was “shocked” that no one was angry at him for switching sides of the rivalry. “It was very simple to tell you the truth because it’s the same school system,” Raney said. “The paperwork and all that stuff – I didn’t have to do anything. Basically I just changed where I drove to school each day.” Changing schools might have been easy, but helping the Jaguars form a new identity without Mullens at the helm might prove to be more difficult. Although the team returns six starters on each side of the ball, some key positions lack experience. Senior Mickey Forrest will be the starter at quarterback this season, coming in

with little experience. Jourdan Walker should help with the transition, coming off a big junior season at wide receiver. “Nick was kind of ‘that guy’ here for the last few years,” Raney said. “We have to set our own identity without him, which will be running the ball and playing defense. They’ve been known around here for slinging the ball and I don’t think we can do that now.” The defense, which is Raney’s specialty, will be led by two seniors: Devin Pughsley on the defensive line and Austin Haight in the secondary. The 2013 schedule looks a little different than normal without those pesky Hoover Bucs. Although they are off the schedule this year, Spain Park’s nemesis will be back next year. In its 11 years, Spain Park hasn’t beaten Hoover. If anyone can lead the team to that coveted victory, it’s probably Raney, who knows everything

Austin Haight dives for a tackle against Carver.

about the Bucs. “To beat them, Hoover will have to be down ,and we’ll have to have one of our best teams,” Raney said. “And then the game will have to go our way. There’s not a huge difference talentwise. But there’s a big difference depth-wise.” For now, though, beating Hoover can wait. If the Jaguars can repeat some of their success last year, a Region 4 championship could be within their grasp. Raney’s main objective before the season starts is to gain trust between the players and coaches. “We’re trying to build trust right now, and I think it’s come a long way since I’ve been here,” Raney said. “It’s tough because they lost a guy they loved in Chip Lindsey. But my favorite thing is just being accepted in the school by the teachers and the other coaches and the kids. I really like the kids here.”

280 Living

A36 B12 •August 2013

thimbles

Opinion Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

Our kids will follow our example, not our advice

WE’VE MOVED!

Even when we think they’re not watching, they’re watching. Even when we think we’re not parenting, we’re parenting. The life of a parent is a classroom, a breeding ground for lessons. We can rattle off advice until we’re blue in the face, but only when our kids see our advice in action does it hit home. Whatever we expect of them, we must expect of ourselves. To be better parents we must be better people first. It’s intimidating to be a role model but motivating, too. Since we’re all creatures of habit, it’s easy to get content and make excuses about why we’re fine as we are. We’ve made it this far, right? But once we remember that young, impressionable eyes are on us — well, that gets our attention. That makes us rethink our ways. Modeling good virtues is a big part of parenting but so is teaching our kids to handle life — real, hard, complicated life. At every age, life will throw them game-changing curveballs. Will the curveballs take them out or make them better players? How resilient

will they be? Often, we parents think our lives have be perfect for our children to learn appropriately, but really it’s our adversity that stands to help them most down the road. A mom once told me about a woman at her church who claims her greatest life lessons came from watching her mother go through cancer. Seeing her mom at her worst (physically speaking) yet handling it with strength, prayer, grace and dignity taught her how to persevere during difficult times. It instilled a reference point she’d draw on the rest of her life. Of all the gifts her mother gave her, these lessons top the list. When I reflect on this story, I think about the mother. I bet she felt tremendous guilt over the time, attention and nurturing she thought she’d robbed her family of. I bet she lay in bed at night worrying about the effect on her kids. I bet she thought she was failing them as a mom. But parenting is more than caretaking. It’s also living our hard adult lives and making the most of any cards we’re dealt. It’s doing what must be done and trusting things to work out. It’s taking our own advice to stand strong when we want to crumble. When my kids were young, I thought 18 was the age I’m preparing them for. I thought if I nurtured them into kind, honest, self-sufficient, hard-working, faithful young adults, they’d be set for life, and I could quit worrying. But since I turned 40, my parenting perspective has broadened, for now I see the difference between “Little League Stress” and “Big League Stress.” When we’re young, we’re thrown curveballs of Little League Stress. Dating. Friendships. College. First jobs. Careers. Marriage. But come mid-life, we’re hurled into a new game of heavy-duty problems and curveballs that can take anyone down, even those kind, honest, selfsufficient, hard-working, faithful young adults whose parents thought they’d never have to worry again. Welcome to Big League Stress. Cancer. Divorce. Death of a spouse. Death of a child. The loss of our parents. Infidelity. Addictions. Job loss. Bankruptcy. Foreclosure. Surgeries. Health scares. Emergencies. Medical diagnoses. This list is endless. I love being 40, for there’s a freedom that comes with time and maturity. Still, I can’t

ignore the reality of intense suffering. Even if I’m fine, someone I love is hurting. And when they hurt, I hurt. We all hurt together. Add to this the everyday stress of mid-life — kids, work, mortgages, bills, making time for a spouse, making time to enjoy life — and you understand the pressure cooker environment. It’s enough to make anyone snap. So instead of using 18 as my benchmark, I now think more about who I hope my kids will be at 40. I wonder how I can foster the skills they’ll eventually need to handle Big League Stress because if they can handle that, Little League Stress will be a cinch. This brings me to my original point: modeling. Because I’m 40 right now, I need to be the person I want my kids to be. I need to view every obstacle in my life as a parenting opportunity. When Big League Stress stares me down, I need to show my kids how it’s done. Do I wish I was a saint and that I never cowered under pressure? Of course. Then again, I’m glad my kids see me struggle, and fail, and try, try again. My fallibility is a gift — the gift of imperfection — and by embracing my humanness and acknowledging how weak I am alone, how strong I am with God, I hope to instill in them the courage to face the curveballs thrown into their life. There are times our grown-up problems take away from our family or call us to make choices our kids can’t understand (a mom going back to work; a family downsizing homes). But before we beat ourselves up or worry we’re scarring them, let’s ask if we’re doing the right thing. Because if we live our life seeking truth and keeping the faith, our kids will benefit. Somehow, it’ll all work out. We’ll never be perfect parents, but we can be persistent parents. We can stick with the game of life through every curveball of Big League Stress. Should we want to quit and never touch a bat again, we can remember that little eyes are watching in the stands. Our kids are always taking mental notes, getting permission to be the exact kind of player we are now. If that’s not motivation enough to improve our game and be the best we can be, I don’t know what is.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham mom of four with a background in PR, writing and photography. For more inspiration, join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer” or find her on Twitter. Visit her website at karikampakis.com, or contact her at kari@ karikampakis.com.

280Living.com

My South By Rick Watson

Summer gatherings There’s just something and family over every few about summer. I think weeks to grill out. Jilda has people’s spirits are higher become a master preparer of this time of year. things to cook on the grill. You have fresh This week she prepared watermelon, cantaloupe chicken, but along with the bird, and tomato sandwiches she grilled romaine lettuce, on lightly toasted bread. tomatoes, bread, Vidalia onions You add a swath of mayo and peppers. Yum. and a dash or two of salt. Every so often, we’ll have Then you chase it with a our great nieces and nephews glass of sweet tea so cold over and play croquet in the it could crack a tooth. It backyard. We’ve had the same Watson doesn’t get much better set with wooden mallets and than that. red, blue, yellow and orange balls for It’s better when you grow your own more than 20 years. When you tap one of tomatoes. I’m not sure why, but it’s been the balls with the mallet, it sounds like it’s proven scientifically. OK, I lied about that, made of fine teakwood. but I challenge anyone to prove me wrong. I make up my own rules as I play. The Another fun thing about summer is kids usually start howling shortly into the river cruises with friends. We’ve never game, “You’re cheating.” owned a boat, but fortunately we have “Nope, it’s my yard, my game, and my friends who do. rules,” I say. When the sun burns off the morning Ah, the joys of being the eccentric uncle. fog and the day heats up, there’s nothing The backyard no longer looks as though like slipping into a pair of cutoff jeans, it’s a mud-wrestling arena, so we’re about slathering up with sunscreen and heading to build an outdoor dining area out of stone. to the river. We recently watched a movie entitled I looked up from my laptop for a Under the Tuscan Sun, and one of the brief moment as I wrote this and waited scenes showed a group of friends, family for my mind to grasp a connecting and neighbors outside enjoying dinner. thought, and there on my desk I noticed That scene resonated with both Jilda and a picture of me along with Dr. Tom me, so we’ve made it a priority to have Camp and Terry Frasier. an outdoor dining area of our own. I think One of the girls, I think it was Tom’s food tastes better when you eat it outside. wife, Judy, shot the photo from the front of I know there are a lot of gatherings the boat, and you can see the wake behind around the holidays in late fall and winter, us lapping the riverbank. I had my baseball but oftentimes our stress level is off the cap on backwards so the wind wouldn’t charts and it’s hard to let go enough to snatch it off my head. enjoy our loved ones. But that doesn’t seem We’re smiling so broadly it’s a wonder to be the case in summer. we didn’t have bugs in our teeth. So, that’s my thoughts on summer. The river is fun, but it’s not the only What are your favorite things you do in the meeting place in summer. We have friends summer?

B13 August 2013 • A37

That’s Life By By Paul Johnson

Integrity, perseverance and Gettysburg July 1-3, 2013 was the 150th incline. I felt naked, exposed, anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. cold. How terrible to have done The battle marked the end of the so with artillery shells and bullets Southern army’s invasion of the North raining down. I envisioned a and served, according to many, as the company of men marching turning point of the Civil War. It perhaps forward, following the voice of was the biggest battle of the war and their commander, never turning perhaps the biggest battle ever to occur or quaking. These men who fell in the continental U.S. Two great armies had no idea the outcome of the collided in the orchards and woods and battle, much less the war. on the fields and hills that surrounded All they knew was that this little Pennsylvania town, leaving moment and that day their over 56,700 casualties. general had called upon them to Johnson I found myself walking in this march forward to do battle. I was battlefield in the days between Christmas awestruck by the perseverance and New Years of 2002. It was a particularly dark time and the integrity of these men, no matter their beliefs in my life, a dark time that had lasted for nearly three in the purpose of the fight, to obey and follow. years. I had spent Christmas with a friend and his I distinctly heard that day to persevere with family north of Philadelphia, and as I made my way integrity through the darkest time of my life. I stood home, I thought I would visit the grand battlefield to there for a time, breathing deeply, listening, praying. see the site in person. I soon returned to my car, made my way south to A foot of snow had fallen the previous night, and home, and resumed living my life. so the field of terrible valor was covered in a majestic Six months later, I realized the darkness had lifted. blanket of purity the day I stepped upon it. As I arrived I credit those four hours at Gettysburg as the turning early in the morning, there were few other footprints point, when my decision to persevere with integrity to taint the picturesque landscape. I stood on the spot somehow emboldened and lightened my heart to where Generals Lee and Longstreet (of the South) resume and engage with intentionality the events and watched their men walk nearly a mile across a broad circumstances of my life. field on the third day of the battle on a frontal assault Perhaps you are engaged in a summer of of the center of the Northern line. discontent that feels like the brutality of war on the If you know anything of the battle, the third day inside. I invite you to persevere, to hang in there, with was a slaughter. The “charge” began at three in the integrity, the trueness of who you are and called to be. afternoon. The Southern Infantry did not run forward; The tide may yet turn. they marched, walked, slowly, in steady time. They marched straight toward the center of the Northern line into the face of a massive artillery barrage. They Paul Johnson is a professionally licensed did not stop until they reached the line. Thirteen marriage and family therapist, professionally thousand men marched forward. Half were killed, licensed counselor and nationally certified wounded or captured. Entire divisions were lost. counselor. You may reach him at 807-6645 or I slogged a quarter of a mile up the long slow lifepracticalcounseling@gmail.com.

A38 B14 •August 2013

Courtyard Oyster Bar & Grill 280 8/1 -Dj Chuck J 8/2 -Matt Hill band / Cowboy Down 8/3 -Cam Spinks band 8/4 -Dewayne / Huck & Boss / Jager Muffin 8/5 -Dj Johnny D 8/6 -Dj K.O.P. 8/7 -Sean & Kenneth / Morning Wood 8/8 -Erica Chambers 8/9 -SK5 / Fools Gambit 8/10 -Pharmband / Paul Sisson 8/11 -Dewayne / Zach & Cheyloe / Morgan 8/12 -Dj Johnny D 8/13 -Dj K.O.P. 8/14 -2 Da Max / Morning Wood 8/15 -Dj Chuck J 8/16 -Matt Hill band / Hutch 8/17 -Rebel Yell / Morgan 8/18 -Dewayne / Paul Sisson / Jager Muffin 8/19 -Dj Johnny D 8/20 -Dj K.O.P. 8/21 -Sean & Kenneth / Morning Wood 8/22 -Dj Chuck J 8/23 -SK5 / F-5 8/24 -Paul Sisson / Voodoo Jones 8/25 -Huck & Boss / Dewayne / Zach & Cheyloe 8/26 -Dj Johnny D 8/27 -Dj K.O.P. 8/28 -2 Da Max / Huck & Boss 8/29 -Dj Chuck J 8/30 -Matt Hill band / Drag Line 8/31 -Outshine

280 Living

Community Calendar 280 Events

breakfast with your favorite characters. Call Kristin Berney at 930-8896. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Aug. 1: Cooking Class for Kids with Diabetes. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Donna Sibley prepares a diabetic friendly meal and a snack-to-go. $25 for single parent and child, $5 for additional family members. Call 408-6550.

Aug. 10: Chelsea Middle School Clean Up Day. 7 a.m., Chelsea Middle School. Joint project between CMS and Chelsea Community Church. Anyone is invited to join. Call 682-7210 or 6789565.

Aug. 3: Shake and Bake Run. Town of Mt Laurel, 8 a.m. The 10th annual run will benefit Northstar Soccer Ministries. Farmer’s Market will be open. Register at shakeandbake5k.com. Call 281-1946. Aug. 3: Lake Stomp. Oak Mountain State Park Office, 10 a.m. An investigation of the State Park’s lakes and streams. Aug. 6: Chapter One Nineteen. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 7-8 p.m. Monthly book club meeting. The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson. Call 4086550. Aug. 8: Living Healthy – Hidden Calories. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 11 a.m.-noon. Learn about hidden fats are and how to read a nutrition label. Free. Call 408-6550. Aug. 10: Characters for a Cure Breakfast. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 8 a.m. & 10 a.m. All-you-can-eat pancake

Aug. 12: Medicare Educational Meetings. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 1-3 p.m. Blue Cross/Blue Shield will conduct a meeting on upcoming changes in Medicare benefits. Open and free. Register at 888-222-6165. Aug. 13: Blood Pressure/Body Mass Index Screening. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 8-11:30 a.m. Blood Pressure and BMI screenings. Free. Aug. 17: Safe at Home. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 1-3 p.m. Age 11 and older, those who are home alone or caring for a sibling while parents are away. $10 per person. Call 939-7878. Aug. 17: Save the Os 5K & the Lori Johnson Fun Run. Aquatic Center at Greystone Country Club, 8 a.m. The ninth annual run will benefit the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Food and entertainment provided. Register at Aug. 8: Sensational Southern Summer Sides. Braised Fresh Okra in Tomatoes and Corn, Summer Tomato and Pimento Cheese Tart, Creamy Bleu Cheese Slaw with Fresh Herbs, Steamed Garden Fresh Vegetables “en Papillote” and Grilled Stone Fruit with a Vanilla Bean Glaze

Birmingham Bake & Cook Call 980-3661 to register. All classes with Susan Green 6:30-9 p.m. and $40 unless otherwise listed. Aug. 6: Cooking Fundamentals. Cover essential cooking techniques. Steaming, Blanching, Sautéing, Pan Frying, Deep Frying.

Aug. 13: Cooking Fundamentals. Cover cooking techniques grilling, roasting braising. Aug, 20: Vinaigrettes and

championship-racing.com/#savetheos5k. Call 585-6662. Aug. 17: Lake Trail Walk. Marina parking lot on Terrace Drive, 10 a.m. 2-mile trail. Aug. 17: Fish Fry. Heardmont Park, TBA. Aug. 19. First Day of School for Shelby County and Hoover City Schools. Aug. 21: CPR for Family and Friends. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 6-8:30 p.m. Classroom-based, practicewhile-you-watch, DVD and instructorfacilitated program on how to perform the basic skills of CPR in adults, children, and infants and how to help an adult, child or infant who is choking. $20 per person. Ages 11 and older. Call 939-7878. Aug. 23: Varsity Oak Mountain Jamboree vs. Oxford. TBA, 7 p.m Aug. 24: 3rd Annual Sozo Children Dinner. The Wynfrey Hotel, 6 p.m. Learn more about Sozo Children’s The Village Project in Uganda. $100. Visit sozochildren.org/dinner..

repeats. Cholesterol and blood glucose screenings will be held by appointment. Call 408-6550 to register. Aug. 24: Bell Center Tailgate Challenge. Carmike Cinemas at The Summit, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tickets $15. Children ages 4-10 are $5, and children 3 and younger get in free. Visit thebellcenter. org or call 879-3417. Aug. 29: Dinner with the Doc, Men’s Health Update. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 6-7:30 p.m. John Farley, M.D. with Birmingham Internal Medicine Associates discusses health in men as they approach middle age and beyond. Light dinner. Free. Call 408-6550. Aug. 29: Chelsea High School Varsity Football vs. John Carroll. Chelsea High School, 7 p.m. Aug. 30: Spain Park High School Football vs. Austin. Spain Park High School, 7 p.m. Aug. 30: Comprehensive Diabetes Education. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Diabetes seminar. Physician referral required. Call 939-7248.

Aug. 24: Blood Cholesterol and Glucose Monitoring. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free for members, $20 for non-members and

Aug. 31: Birds of Alabama. Oak Mountain State Park Treetop Nature Trail, 10 a.m. Learn about the 400 to 450 birds species of Alabama.

Dressings. Lemon Roasted Green Beans with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, Shredded Asian Chicken Salad with Summer Peach Sesame Vinaigrette, Broccoli Salad with a Creamy Buttermilk Herb Dressing and a Classic Spinach Salad with comforting Warm Bacon Dressing. $45 per person.

Mushrooms with Fresh Herbs on Crisp Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, California Summer Zinfandel Shellfish Stew, and Fresh Fruit Poached in Port served over Sweet Ricotta. $40.00 per person

Aug. 22: Cooking with Wine. Deglazing, braising, poaching, reductions. Baked Brie with Caramelized Red Wine Onion Jam, White Wine – Infused Wild

Better Newspaper,

Aug. 27: Jerusalem: A Cookbook. Na’ama’s Fattoush (an Arab Salad using Fried or Grilled Pita Bread), Fried Tomatoes with Garlic, Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts, served with basmati rice and Orzo and Sweet Filo Cigars with Almonds and Pistachios. $45 per person.

Better Community.

280 Living Recipient of the 2013 General Excellence Award Alabama Press Association Better Newspaper Contest

280Living.com

August 2013 • A39 B15

Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Aug. 1: ShelbyOne Investor Update. Shelby Baptist Medical Center, 1000 First Street North, 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. For ShelbyOne Investors and guests. Aug. 7: Ambassadors Work Group. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Dr., 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 7: Small Business Work Group. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Dr., 4-5 p.m. Aug. 9: Health Services

Library Events

Work Group. Cardiovascular Associates, 3890 Colonnade Parkway, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Aug. 13: Education Work Group. Shelby County Instructional Services Center, 601 First Street South, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Aug. 13: Existing Business & Industry Work Group. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc., 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 500, 9-10 a.m.

Aug. 20: Go & Grow Workshop “Coaching Your Team to Greatness.” 1301 County Services Dr., Greater Shelby Chamber, 7:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Presented by Michael T. Smith, TheGREATtheGOODandtheGONE. Members $50, future-members $75. RSVP required by Friday, Aug. 16. Aug. 21: Board of Directors Meeting. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Dr., 8:159:15 a.m. Aug. 22: Governmental Affairs Work Group. Two Perimeter Park South, Ste 500 E., Sain Associates, Inc. 9-10 a.m.

North Shelby Public Library

Chelsea Public Library

Wednesdays: Mr. Mac (Storyteller Extraordinaire!). North Shelby Library and Mt Laurel Public Library, 10:45 a.m. All Ages. No registration required.

Wednesdays: The Tot Spot. Chelsea Public Library, 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Storytime for Preschoolers. Call 678-8455 or email dpolk@shelbycounty-al.org

Area Events Aug. 1-30: Titans of the Ice Age – IMAX. McWane Science Center. 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Adult tickets are $8.50 and $7.50 for children and seniors. This epoch marks a dynamic time in the development of the human spirit that would compel our ancestors to seek understanding and meaning in nature. Call 714-8300 or visit mcwane.org. Aug. 2-4: Sales Tax Holiday. State, county and city governments will participate. Visit revenue.alabama.gov/ salestax/SalesTaxHol.cfm. Aug. 2-6: Birmingham Barons Baseball vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Regions Field, Friday & Monday-Tuesday 7:05 p.m.,

Saturday 6:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. $7 general admission, $12 Magic City View & Field Reserved, $9 Baseline Box, $14 Dugout Premium. $1 discount for children 12 and under, senior citizens and military. Call 988-3200 or visit barons.com. Aug. 12: Glow for a Cure. Highland Park Golf Course, 4-10 p.m. Tickets are $200 per golfer and $25 for spectators, and include a BBQ dinner. A night golf tournament to benefit Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama’s research grant program. Call 871-7970 or email vholder@alzca.org. Aug. 15: Mentor/Mentee Bridge Series. Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club. Games $6 for members, $7 for visitors Membership joining fee is $6. For more, call 560-0706.

Aug. 27: Membership Reception. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Dr., 8:30-10 a.m. Sponsored by Rx Catering. No cost. RSVP required by Friday, Aug. 23. Aug. 28: Membership Luncheon. Pelham Civic Complex, 500 Amphitheater Road,11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Program: Impact of the Arts on Tourism and Economic Development. Showcase Feature: Businesses from Harpersville, Helena, Chelsea, Montevallo. RSVP required by noon, Monday, Aug. 26. Members $17, future-members $25.

Fridays: Bring your own Crochet. Chelsea Public Library, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Aug. 10: Lego Club. Chelsea Public Library, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. 5-years-old and older come show off your Lego skills at our club.

Aug. 16-25: Birmingham Restaurant Week. Featured restaurants will offer special two and/ or three-course prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menus. Visit bhamrestaurantweek.com. Aug. 17: Boiling N’ Bragging. Otey’s Tavern, 6-9 p.m. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door, free for kids. Benefitting Critical Care Transport at Children’s of Alabama. Register online at boilingnbragging.org. Call 332-7571 or visit childrensal.org. Aug. 21-25: UniverSoul Circus. Legion Field Stadium, Wednesday-Thursday 7:30 p.m.; Friday 10:30 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.; Saturday noon, 4 & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 1, 4 & 7 p.m. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America. Call 800-745-3000, or visit universoulcir-

Classifieds Childcare Worker:

Sunday and Wednesday. References and background check are required. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Hwy 39, Chelsea, AL. • 205-618-8367 or rector@StCatherinesAL.com

Comfort Keepers

is currently hiring quality caregivers. 205-981-1800

HELP WANTED

FULL OR PART TIME SALES ASSOCIATE. HOURS AVAIL: 12-6: SUN-SAT Apply Rogers Trading Company, Hwy. 280, resource center parkway: send resume or application to jenrtc@aol. com No phone inquiries accepted

cus.com or ticketmaster.com. Aug. 23: 5th Annual Sips for CF Wine Tasting Competition. Kress Building, 301 19th Street North, 7 p.m. Tickets $25 the day of, or $20 in advance by visiting LapsForCF. org or calling 871-9140. This event features food and drinks, live music, a silent auction and free parking at the Park Rite parking deck, benefitting The Laps for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more, email lauren@lapsforcf.org. Aug. 23-25: 15th Annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. Alabama Theatre. Friday 8-10 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Most events are free, but admission to certain events ranges from $15-$92. Call 324-0888 or visit sidewalkfest.com.

Part-time Help Needed Sales and Merchandising Computer knowledge needed. Some Saturdays Plain Jane’s Women & Children Shop Lee Branch Shopping Center 205-991-1995

Home Instead Senior Care

Looking for part time CAREGivers for Non-medical in home care. Apply at: www.homeinstead.com/bham 205.822.1915

A40 â&#x20AC;˘August 2013

280 Living